Twin Factor
by JeanieLee
Summary: When fifteen year old Cornelius 'Lewis' Robinson runs into Jessica Adams while in town one day, their whole world is thrown upside down. Add in a once more stolen time machine, a seriously messed up heritage and a psychotic murderer escaped from prison a
1. Trailer

**_Twin Factor Trailer_ **

"Hey! Get back here!"

The camera shows a fifteen year old girl, her blond hair pushed up under a black beret, running down a crowded street with a cop not far behind her. She glances over her shoulder and smirks as she sees he's falling behind before rounding a corner onto another street.

The camera fades to show a now fifteen year old Lewis walking down the streets of Todayland, his hands in his pockets as he lets out a sigh.

**Four years after his adventure in the future…… **

Camera zooms out to show the girl flying around the corner and straight into Lewis, sending them both flying to the ground. Lewis stares at the girl, who lets out a gasp when she looks up and see's him.

**Lewis Robinson's life will be turned upside down once more **

"Who are you?" Lewis asks as the two teens walk down the street side by side.

Scene fades to show a fourteen year old girl wearing an elegant off-white gown of satin with her dark black hair pulled back into a braid stepped forward and extends her hand. "Hi, I'm Franny. You must be Jessie. Cornelius has told me all about you."

**While he had been in an orphanage… **

"Cornelius, Jessie!" called Lucille breathlessly as she climbed the stairs into the lab, appearing as though she had just run up to them. She was panting and quite pale as the twins quickly walked over to her. She swallowed and said the words Jessie was hoping she should never hear. "Emilia Stevenson is here."

Scene changes to show Judge Anthony Collins sitting on the bench of the courtroom. "Stevenson family, you are hereby charged with the murder of Jason and Amelia Stevenson. Jeffery and Jim, you are also being charged with rape."

**She had not been so lucky… **

Camera shows Jessie sitting on the edge of the desk in Lewis's lab.

"I asked about my parents and well, they told me what they had done and about that I had a twin brother somewhere. I ran away that night and have been on the streets ever since, using our mothers maiden name and wearing a hat so that they couldn't link the common street thief with their missing granddaughter, and hoping someday that I would met you"

**This Winter… **

"Wilbur?"

The camera shows Lewis gaping at the sixteen year old boy standing on the street in front of him. The boy named Wilbur smiles at the blond inventor. Lewis raises an eyebrow at him. "What did you do?"

Wilbur shakes his head and raises his hands up in front of him in defense. "Hey, I didn't do anything……this time."

Lewis rolls his eyes and pulls his future son into a hug, Jessie standing a few feet beside them with a look of shock on her face. "Oh my God! You're gay!"

Wilbur and Lewis jump apart quickly, shuddering at the thought. Wilbur sticks out his tongue and gags. "Ew no! He's my dad!"

"Wilbur!"

Wilbur slaps his hand over his mouth and the two boy's look over at Jessie, waiting for her reaction. Jessie just stands and blinks a few times, confused about what Wilbur had said. "Pointy haired boy say what?"

**Past meets present… **

"Ethan Summers escaped from prison, stole one of the time machine to come back here, almost killing Carl in the process," Wilbur managed to explained in one breath. Lewis looked at Wilbur in confusion. "Who is Ethan Summers?"

"He was a business man that made millions investing in stocks," stated Jessie. The camera swings over to show that she had gone extremely pale. "He also ran a chain of venture's including supplying child prostitutes and slaves to other wealthy businessmen."

The camera swings back around to show Lewis and Wilbur looking at Jessie in curiosity. Lewis swallows, "How do you know this?"

"Because five years ago, I was the traitor that turned him in," Jessie replied softly, looking down at the ground.

**And present meets future… **

"Do you have any idea where he may have taken them?" asks a frantic adult Franny, her and Cornelius looking down at Jessie as she sat on the couch in the living room of the Robinson Mansion.

Camera zooms in one Jessie's face as she looks up at Franny, and nods."Is the Stevenson Mansion still standing?"

**As twin brother and sister… **

_(I can be strong for you now)_ Camera show's a beaten and bleeding Jessie hobbling over to the now visible red time machine, clutching her side where she was sure she had several broken ribs.

_(You taught me how)_Scene changes to show Jessie watching Lewis in amazement as Carl comes to life for the first time.

_(I learned from you that I do not crumble)_ Show's Jessie at her first high school choir concert frozen on stage as she looks out into the crowd. A smile forms on her face as her eyes land on Lewis sitting in the third row from the stage. He smiles and gives her thumbs up as she begins to sing.

_(I learned that strength is something you choose)_ Scene changes to show Lewis biting his lip and looking nervous as he stands before Franny, attempting to ask her out. He spots Jessie in the distance over Franny's shoulder, takes a deep breath and asks.

_(All of the reasons to keep on believing)_ Fades to show Lewis bound to a chair with a gage stuffed into his mouth in a room completely dark save for a single light hanging in the center of the room like a single beacon of hope.

_(There's no question that's a lesson)_ Show's Jessie and Lewis hugging at Jessie's high school graduation.

**Attempt to save the future….**

"I learned from you," sang Jessie, closing her eyes as she held out the final note of the song. The crowd of the football stadium erupted into cheers. As she lowered the microphone from her mouth, she to her left and saw Franny among her classmates down on the field. She then looked up into the stands and her smile widened as he eyes landed on her mom, dad, and brother.

**Twin Factor**

Now available to read at 


	2. Prologue

**Okay. So welcome to my newest story. The idea came to me after watching Meet the Robinsons for the second time and then finding the for the movie in the fanfic section here, so here I am! Okay here is the summary for this story. **

_When fifteen Cornelius 'Lewis' Robinson runs into Jessica Adams while in town one day, their whole world is thrown upside down. Add in a once more stolen time machine, a seriously messed up heritage and a psychotic murderer escaped from prison and bent on revenge, and you get the test of a lifetime begins as twin brother and sister have the future of their family resting on their shoulders. _

**And now, I present my newest story. _Twin Factor. _**

**Prologue **

_She was standing on the rooftop of an old abandoned apartment building near the outskirts of town, her hands bound behind her back, and the wind was blowing her blond hair all over the place as she glared at the man in front of them. She, Lewis, and Wilbur struggled against their captors as they glared at the once perfect business man in front of them. _

_"Let them go. It's me you want Summers," she snarled at him as he smirked at her, his green eyes shining with hate as he looked at her. _

_"Like that's gonna happen girly," he replied as she walked over to her and ran a single finger along her jaw line. She bit her lip, to keep herself from gasping as she felt his cold finger touching her face as she continued to glare at him. "No, I have plans for them. They will see you suffer, and when I leave you here to die Ms. Adams, you will watch them being taken away from you and you will be helpless to do anything about it." _

_He let go of her face and stood a few feet away from her. He snapped his fingers twice and the men holding Lewis and Wilbur moved next to him and they all turned around to face her and her captor. Summers walked over to Lewis and lifted the fifteen year olds face to his, a malicious smile on his face."Williams, you know what to do. And you my little inventor. You will watch your sister as she dies." _

_He moved back to his place beside his henchman and smiled as the man named Williams brought his leg up and kicked Jessie in the stomach. She grunted in pain as all her breath was knocked out of her and she fell to her knees. She bit her lip once more as she was kicked in her side, hearing a sickening crunch as pain shot through her chest forcing her to wince. _

_"JESSIE!" she heard both Lewis and Wilbur yell as he kicked her yet again in the side, causing the pain to increase. She looked up from the ground towards her brother. Their blue eyes met for a brief second before she was forced to close them once more as she was kick once more, this time in the face. _

"JESSIE!"

My eyes shoot open as I heard my name be called and looked around. I was sitting in an plush blue chair in the green room of Robinson arena. I sat up and rubbed my eyes as I heard footsteps approach me from the other side of the room, taking deep breaths to calm down my extremely fast heartbeat. I looked up to see my manager, a brown eyed brunette by the name of Sarah Collins approaching me, a look of concern on her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked as I stood up and stretched, getting out the knot that had developed in my back from falling asleep in that chair.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, a smile creeping onto my face as I remembered that I was home now, and this last stop of my last ever world tour. "I guess I fell asleep while meditating again."

"Yeah, you seem to have a habit of doing that," she replied with a laugh. She suddenly went quiet as she listened to the person on the other end of her earpiece before smiling at me. "Showtime Jess."

"Awesome," I stated as I followed her across the room to the door that led from the greenroom to backstage. As soon as I crossed the threshold too backstage, a wave a screaming met my ears causing my smile to widen as I picked up my microphone of the back table and moved into position.

"Ladies and gentlemen," began the announcer, causing the crowed to go silent with anticipation."Please welcome back home, Jessie Robinson!"

The screaming that met my ears as I walked out from behind the curtain was defining, and I gave a small laugh as I thought about how far I had come in the past thirty years. Whoever thought that I would go from the orphan street thief to world famous singer? I sure as hell didn't expect it.

"How are all of you doing tonight?" I asked the crowd in the stadium, their response was more screaming, which caused me to chuckle. I looked down into the front row and their they were, screaming as load as they could, the Robinsons. In the middle of the large family stood my brother, Cornelius Robinson with his wife Franny and their son Wilbur. I winked down at my twin, causing him to laugh and shake his head. I laughed in return as I heard the introduction to my first song begin. Oh yeah, I sure as hell never expected this.


	3. The Run In

**Chapter 1- The Run In **

**September 15, 2011 **

Fifteen year old Cornelius 'Lewis' Robinson sighed as he walked down the sidewalk, his hands in the pockets of his dark blue denim jeans as he walked and the sky clear of clouds and the sun shining down on the city. He had just visited Mildred at the orphanage and was currently heading towards Overland Deli, where he was meeting his mother for lunch. It had four years since his adventure in the future, and not long after that he had been adopted my Bud and Lucile Robinson.

He had just graduated from college a few months ago at the age of fourteen and was currently working on the beginnings of Robinson Industries. He now had an working prototype flying car, the bubbles were close to being created and Carl; well he would take some time. Lewis shook his head at the thought of the explosion the latest Carl prototype had created. He was so busy remembering all the panels of glass that had to be replaced that he looked up just in time to see a girl with blond hair run pushed under a black Beret around the corner right into him, sending them both flying to the ground.

"Damm," he heard her curse as he sat up and looked at her as she grabbed her fallen hat from the ground, cursing under her breath all the while. She was wearing faded and ripped blue jeans with a light pink tank top under a short and fade black zip up sweatshirt. It was her hair that caught his attention though. Blond hair like his except that hers went down to about her shoulders instead up defying gravity and going up, and had bits of dirt and who knows what in it.

When she looked up, they both let out a gasp for it was almost like looking in a mirror. Same face shape, same nose, same blue eyes. They both slowly stood up from the ground, neither of them taken their eyes off the other. They were knocked out of their trance when a police officer came up behind her and grabbed both her arms and brought them behind her back.

"Hey! Let go of me!" she cried as she struggled against the officer's grip.

"You're going to juvenile hall young lady. You've stolen from one to many convenient stores" stated the officer as he brought out a pair of handcuffs and secured them around her wrists. Then officer then notice Lewis standing their staring at the girl in shock and disbelief. He then looked back and forth between the two several times before muttering "Oh my God. It was never mentioned that you had a sister Mr. Robinson."

"'Oh my God.' Well that's the understatement of the year," muttered Jessie as she rolled her blue eyes at the officer. She then looked at the boy with raised eyebrows. He was Cornelius Robinson? The young inventor that had just graduated college? _If anyone can get me out go this, he can_. She bit her lip as she looked him in the eyes, hoping that he could get her out of this.

Lewis looked at the girl before answering the officer. She was looking him in the eyes and biting her lip, while making a slight motion with her head to the officer who held her hands behind her back. He smiled as he realized what she wanted; his help. He smiled at her and gave a slight nod before looking directly at the officer. "Well, then you can't believe everything you read in the papers now can you?"

"I guess not," replied the officer as he took off the handcuff and released her hands from behind her back. She walked over and stood beside him, mouthing 'thank you' to him before she turned around and faced the officer, placing her hat back on her head and pushing her hair back underneath it. "I'm sorry about all this. Have a good day."

"Thank you officer," smiled Lewis as the officer turned and walked back in the direction he came from. He heard the girl give a sigh of relief when the officer had disappeared around the corner before turning to Lewis with a smile of her face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. But, who are you? Where did you come from? I mean, I'm pretty sure were twins but where have you been these past fifteen years. And why didn't-"

"Gezz, for someone so smart you sure ask a lot of questions," she said with a laugh, cutting him off from his rambling. "As for my name, it's Jessica Adams. But call me Jessie. I mean come on, do I look like a Jessica."

"Yeah, Jessie suits you better," he replied with a laugh, running a hand though his hair as he watched her. "Just like Cornelius suits me better then Lewis."

"Eh, Cornelius is okay. I guess it's a name you have to grow into. I don't mean that in a bad way, it just gives off the vibe of someone, well-"

"Older?" he stated as the two began to walk in the direction Jessie had come from and the direction Lewis was heading. She nodded in response as they reached the street corner to find the light for them to cross green, so they ran across and continued in the direction of the deli."How come I was placed in the orphanage and you weren't?"

At this question she stopped where she was and looked towards the ground, suddenly finding her feet very interesting. Lewis looked to see her stopped a few feet behind him when he didn't hear her respond. He looked at her curiously as he walked back to her. "Jess?"

"Is there somewhere we can go to talk? That's something that will take a bit to explain, cause it's a long story," she replied as she continued to look at the ground. _And a story I wish they had never told me_, she thought as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to regain her composure. She looked up at him before they continued walking.

"Um, yeah. We can talk at my house but right now I have to meet my mom at Overland for lunch," he replied as he motioned to the deli that they had just arrived in front of. He opened the door and stood aside to let her go through first. "Come on, we can talk about it after you meet my mom and we get some lunch."


	4. A Twisted Heritage

**Chapter 2- A Twisted Heritage **

"Ah, there she is," muttered Lewis as he spotted is mother in a small booth not far from the door. The deli had an old western cavern type feel to it. Hard wood floors, white washed walls, rich mahogany booths and tables and authentic bronze chandeliers hanging from the ceiling over each table. He smiled as he and Jessie mad there was over to her. "Hey mom. Sorry I'm late. I ran into someone on the way here."

"That's alright Cornel- oh my," gasped Lucille as she look up at her son, her brown eyes went wide in shock when she noticed Jessie beside him.

"Mom this is Jessica Adams, my twin sister," Lewis explained as he and Jessie sat down across from her in the booth. Jessie extended her hand towards Lucille with a smile, "please, call me Jessie Mrs. Robinson."

Lucille shocks her head to rid herself of the shock and grasped Jessie's hand, all the while smiling back at her. "Please, call me Lucille."

The two women finish shaking hands and Jessie smiled over at Lewis before grabbing the menu in front of her. She took a look at the prices and closed the menu, setting in back down on the table. She looked up to see a waiter smiling down at her, ready to take her order."I'm fine thank you."

He nodded in response and walked away with Lewis and Lucille's orders. He didn't get far when Lewis called him back, looking at the girl next to him with a questioning look on his face. He remembered what the police officer said about her stealing from convenient stores, and then the state of her dress confirmed his thoughts. Jessie didn't have any money."Jessie, just get something. We'll pay for it, won't we mom?"

"Of course. Not to worry Jessie," Lucille smiled at her sweetly.

"But I-"

"Jessie, just get a sandwich," stated Lewis as he gave her a stern look that told he she was going to eat something even if he had to force it down her throat.

"Fine," she sighed in defeat before turning to the waiter. "I'll have a six inch turkey on white, everything on it."

"Very well," the waiter nodded in response and walked towards the kitchen. Jessie smiled towards Lucille and Lewis. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome honey," replied Lucille. "Where exactly do you live?"

"Ah...um...err….hmm…nowhere," Jessie replied quietly, looking down at her lap.

"Then you can stay with us," responded Lucille. Jessie looked up and opened her moth to protest but Lucille held up a hand to stop her."Not to worry. We have plenty of room and I have a feeling you and Cornelius have some catching up to do."

"Thank up," Jessie smiled at them both as the waiter arrived with their sandwiches, placing the plates in front of them along with a jug of water of the table. She lifted her sandwich and took a large bit, savoring the taste in her mouth as she chewed it.

"And this is my lab," explained Lewis as he and Jessie entered the domed glass room, which was slowly but surely filling up with inventions. As Lewis watched her walk around the room, looking at all his inventions and blueprints he had pinned up, his thoughts turned back to the future. Why didn't he meet Jessie in the future and why didn't Wilbur mention that he had a sister. A twin sister none the less.

"This is incredible," stated Jessie as she walked over to a table, on which lay yet another prototype of Carl. She smiled as she turned and walked back to where Lewis stood by the stairs."To think you made all this and yet I still have trouble with math."

"Where exactly have you been the past fifteen years," asked Lewis, surprised at his own bluntness.

"You may want to sit down for this one," Jessie replied sadly as Lewis went to his desk and sat down on his chair. She looked up at the blue sky through the dome window and sighed before looking back down at Lewis. "Our family, well I'm just going to say it. There are twisted psychos."

"What do you mean, Jessie?" Lewis asked her as she sat down on the corner of his desk.

"Our last name is Stevenson. They are large family that only care about wealth and appearances. Our father, Jason Stevenson, was the black sheep of the family. He didn't care if his friends were from the same social class or not, but his parents and brothers did. They thought that rich families should marry other rich families, even if they are your cousins. So when he stated dating our mother, Amelia Adams, they were furious because she was a dancer and they thought anything to do with the arts was waste of time," explained Jessie. Lewis shook his head, how in the world could he be related to people like this.

"They were livid when his disappeared six months later for about a year and married our mother. They stayed in hiding so that his parents wouldn't find them, cause he knew once they did, they would both be dead. During that time she gave birth to us; James Andrew Stevenson and Jessica Marie Stevenson. At about two months old, they were found. So they made the decision to give us up and split us apart so that they couldn't find us. While mom took you to one orphanage, dad would take me to another, but he never made it that far. They found him with me not long after mom left with you. When she came back from dropping you off, she found me crying in the arms of her brother and her husband dead on the floor, before they killed her from behind." Jessie continued.

"They killed their own son?" asked Lewis in disbelief. Jessie nodded in response."Just because he was in love with someone from a different social class."

"That's horrible," gaped Lewis, running a hand through his hair. "You grew up with them, didn't you?"

"For eight years yes," she replied as she stood up from the desk and began pacing."I had no friends because the one time I did make one at school when I was five, I made the mistake of bringing her home for dinner. And well, they still haven't found her body. After that I made sure to be as mean as I could so that it wouldn't happen again."

"Wait, how do you know all of this?" Lewis asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I made the mistake of being a curious eight year old, always asking questions. I asked about my parents and well, they told me what they had done and about that I had a twin brother somewhere. I ran away that night and have been on the streets ever since, using our mothers maiden name and wearing a hat so that they couldn't link the common street thief with their missing granddaughter, and hoping someday that I would met you" explained Jessie, once more sitting down on the edge of Lewis's desk.

"They're sick," stated Lewis after a few moments of silence in the lab.

"Yeah no duh. I knew something was off with them when they said that I would someday marry my cousin," responded Jessie as she folded her arms over the chest. "But I don't really care, as far as I'm concerned they are not my family."

Lewis nodded his head in agreement as there was a knock on the lab door, followed by Lucille's voice. "Time for dinner you two."

"We'll be down in a minute mom," Lewis yelled in response as he stood up from his chair and Jessie stood up from his desk.

"Hey, don't fret over it Lewis," stated Jessie after she had noticed that Lewis had been particularly quiet as they walked down the stairs towards the dining room. "You already have a great family."

"I know," he replied, smiling over at her. "And I think this family just got bigger." 


	5. A Bathroom Mishap

** I think it's time for a bit of humor that can only happen in the Robinson household. **

**Chapter 3-A Bathroom Mishap **

"And here is the guest bedroom, which is now yours," stated Lucille as she bushed open the large white doors. Jessie gasped at the room in front of her. It was a large and spacious room done in white and light blue. On the far side was a bay window, overlooking the spacious backyard. There was a queen-sized bed not far from the window, complete with matching nightstands. A plasma TV hung on the wall across from it and two doors leading to a walk in closet and an adjacent bathroom.

"Oh my God," Jessie muttered slowly as she walked into the room, gazing around in amazement.

"There is a bathrobe in the closet so when you take a shower, just leave your cloths outside the door and I'll put them in the wash," explained Lucille, a large smile on her face as she watched the young blond.

"Thank you," smiled Jessie, sitting down on the soft bed as Lucille closed the doors behind her. She took off her hat beret and set it down on the bed next to her as she ran a hand through her filthy blond hair. She couldn't believe all that had happened today. She certainty didn't expect this, considering just that morning she had stolen a donut for breakfast which in turn lead to her running into her brother. And now here she was, sitting in the guest bedroom of the Robinson's mansion.

She let out a small laugh as she fell back onto the bed, closing her eyes as she slowly sank into the softness of the mattress. She could get used to this. And Bud and Lucille were great, a little odd but great. Bud had reacted about the same way Lucille had at lunch, and then proceeded to explain that it wasn't his cloths that were on backwards but his head.

She sighed as she sat up and got off the bed, stretching for a moment before walking over to the closet. The only thing in the large closet was a soft, white bathrobe. She gently lifted it off the hanger and pressed the soft fabric against her face, inhaling the sweet lilac sent if gave off.

She walked out of the closet and into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. The bathroom was large and done in the same color scheme as the bedroom. A large shower was in the far corner, next to it a large bathtub. Across from the bathtub was a long white marble counter with two sinks with bronze fixtures, and the toilet was across from the shower. She set the robe down on the counter before taking off her clothes, putting them just outside the bathroom door and walking over to the shower.

She opened the glass door of the shower and stepped inside, gasping at coldness of the white tile that covered the shower floor. She looked at the wall and just stared at it. There were about twenty facets on the wall in front of her, but nothing to show which one did what. She reached for one on the top row that had a red strip on it, hoping it meant hot water. She turned it clockwise about a quarter inch, and then stopped for something inside the wall had begun to rattle.

Lewis sighed as he walked down the hallway towards his room, taking his glasses off as he walked and attempting to rub some of the soot off his face. Carl had exploded, again. Something about the wiring was always off. He put his glasses back on and looked up to see his mother coming out of the bedroom where Jessie was staying, her cloths in the basket in her arms. She smiled as she caught sight of him, "Have any laundry Cornelius?"

He looked down at his soot cover cloths and nodded with a laugh, "Oh yeah. Let me just change out of these real quick-" He was cut off by a loud explosion, the sound of rushing water, and a blood curdling scream came for the guest bedroom. Lucille dropped the basket and ran back towards the room, Lewis right behind her. The entered to room to find Jessie storming out of the bathroom in her white robe, soaking wet, her normal straight blond hair was beginning to stick up in places. Water was spilling out of the giant hole in the wall in the shower behind her and flowing into the bedroom.

Lewis grimaced when he saw the hole. He had been trying out a new invention, something to help you get the perfect shower, in the guest bathroom and with all the excitement of the day, had forgotten all about testing it. "Opps."

"Opps? OPPS! The shower just exploded and all you can say is 'opps?'" Jessie shouted. She pushed up the sleeves of the robe and balled her hands into fists. "Bathrobe or not, boy you better run."

Bud yelled as he dodged out of the way of a soot covered Lewis running down the hall with a wet and angry Jessie not far behind him. He looked to his wife, who was laughing as she watched to two run down the hall and disappear from sight."What happened?"

"Remember how Cornelius was working on the shower in the guest bedroom?" she asked him as she walked over to him and he put his arm around her waist.

"Yes, wh-oh," muttered Bud, realizing what must have happened. He kissed his wife on the forehead before removing his arm and started to walk back down the hallway. "I'll go turn the water off."

"And I'll get some towels," stated Lucille, heading down the opposite direction Bud had just taken.

"MY GOD! YOU RUN LIKE A GIRL!" came the distant scream of Jessie, causing Lucille to laugh as she went to get towels out of the hall closet.


	6. Lost and Found

**Chapter 4- Lost and Found **

**September 24, 2011 **

Lewis sighed as he grabbed his fork and began to cut into a few of Lucille's fresh pancakes. He was currently sitting at the bar in the large kitchen in the Robinson mansion, wearing dark blue jeans, a brown t-shirt and his white lab coat, eating the fresh pancakes that his mom was currently cooking, a typical Saturday morning. It had been a little over a week since he had run into Jessie and now it felt as if she had been there all along. Last weekend she and Lucille had gone shopping and had gotten her and entire wardrobe, complete with accessories and a new black beret while he stayed home and had Carl explode on him yet again.

"Morning Lucille. Morning chicken legs," greeted Jessie, Lewis cringed at his new nickname as she walked into the kitchen and hopped onto the bar stool next to him. She was wearing a new pair of jeans and white, long sleeve hooded sweater. She smiled as Lucille placed a plate of pancakes on the counter in front of her. "Thanks Lucille."

"I'm never gonna live that down am I?" Lewis asked after he swallowed a bit of his pancakes, referring to the new nickname he had gotten from her after the bathroom incident the night she had come to live with them.

Jessie smirked over at him as she popped a bite of pancakes in her mouth. She swallowed and shook her head at him, "Not a chance."

Lewis groaned, stabbing his fork into his pancakes as Bud entered the kitchen, a smile on his face as he walked over and kissed his wife at the stove before grabbing himself a plate and loading it with pancakes."Morning Cornelius. Morning Jessie."

"Morning dad."

"Morning Bud."

Bud smiled at the simultaneous replies from the twins in sitting at the bar in front of him. Lucille smiled as she placed a few fresh pancakes onto his plate before turning off the stove and grabbing a plate herself. Once Lucille got a few pancakes for herself, she walked over and stood beside Bud, who smiled and her and gave a small not in Jessie's direction.

"Cornelius, Jessie, Bud and I have been talking the last few days and we were wondering," Lucille smiled at her husband as he wrapped and arm around her waist before they both turned to smile at Jessie. "Jessie, would like to become a permanent part of this family?"

Jessie stopped in mid bite and her fork dropped down to her plate with a loud clang. Jessie glanced over at Lewis, who looked as if he was about to burst with happiness. She swallowed the forgotten food that was in her mouth and nodded vigorously, "Hell yeah!"

Lewis jumped off the stool and ran over to Jessie, engulfing her in a rib cracking hug. She embraced him in return, laughing happily. As the small family of three, soon to be four celebrated in the kitchen, the family dog Buster came happily trotting into the kitchen and over to Bud, the day's paper clutched in his jaws. Bud smiled as he bent down and removed the paper from the dog' jaws, rubbing him on the head in thanks before straitening up as Buster sat down at his masters feet.

Bud's smile quickly faded as he unrolled the paper and read the headline, just above a paparazzi photo of Jessie, Lewis and Lucille at Overland Deli next to a picture of a seven year old girl with light blond hair hanging about her shoulders and light blue eyes that even though she was smiling, reflected a deep sadness. He placed the paper on the counter after quickly reading though the article."You may want to read this."

Jessie let go off Lewis and the two bent over the article, Jessie gasped in shock. As she began to read the article, her eyes widened in horror.

_MISSING STEVENSON GIRL FOUND? _

_October 15th, 2004- eight year old Jessica Marie Stevenson is reported missing, having run away from the home of her grandparents, the wealthy, and rather crud, Jacob and Emilia Stevenson. Jessica was put into the custody of her grandparents in September 1996 when her parents __Jason Stevenson and Amelia Adams disappeared without a trace, leaving behind their two month old daughter. It was rumored that they also had had a son, fraternal twins, but none was ever found. _

_September 15, 2011-seven years after the disappearance of Jessica Stevenson, this reporter is seated at a table in the local Overland Deli when the young Cornelius Robinson enters with a young lady that has a striking resemblance to the young inventor himself. I was ecstatic when the two just so happened to take their seats at a booth occupied by Dr. Lucille Krunklehorn-Robinson, the booth right next to mine. Young Mr. Robinson then proceeded to introduce the young lady to his adoptive mother as Jessica 'Jessie' Adams, his twin sister who had been living on the streets. _

_So, after taking a quick photo of the three, I went back to my office with every intention of writing an article on the mysterious appearance of Cornelius Robinsons 'twin'. After a little digging, and comparing the picture I had taken to an on file picture of the missing girl, this reporter believes that young 'Jessie' Adams is Jessica Stevenson, and Cornelius Robinson is the 'rumored' twin brother. For after some digging it was found that the young inventor was placed in the 6th Street Orphanage the same night Jason and Amelia disappeared. _

_If the two girls really are one and the same, what is to become of her? Will she stay with the Robinsons and sooner or later officially become one of them, or will she be forced back into the custody of her grandparents? Only time will tell. _

Lewis looked over at Jessie, who currently was staring unblinkingly at the pictures in horror. She had been found, and she was pretty sure that now she was revealed that their family would soon come after her.

"Is is true?" Lucille asked quietly. Jessie looked up, fear clearly in her eyes, and nodded. With some effort she was able to swallow the large lump in her throat and speak, "Yes, I am Jessica Stevenson and I am your son's sister. I ran away because they told me about that a-and th-tha, and tha-that they murdered our parents. And now that they know I'm alive, they will come for me and I know that they will kill me"

Lucille raced around the kitchen island and took the girl into a tight embrace, who gladly accepted as she stared off into space with fear in her eyes. She smiled sadly up and Lewis as she stroked the young girls hair in a motherly fashion. She then looked to her husband, who looked shocked that they had killed their own son and daughter in law, and were now after their granddaughter, and thankful that Lewis was safe because he was already in their custody.

"Don't worry Jessie," stated Bud as he came out of his trance, knocking Jessie out of hers."We won't let them take you without a fight."


	7. The Summons

**Chapter 5-The Summons **

**September 26, 2011 **

For the next seventy two hours, Jessie was excessively jumpy, scared out of her wits that her biological family would turn up at any moment. She spent most of her time with Lewis, helping him in the lab. At the time she said it was because she wanted to help him but Lewis knew she really didn't want to be alone right now, seeing as she had taken to jumping every time the phone rang. The thing she feared most came true at two in the afternoon on Monday.

"Wrench."

"Here ya go," replied Jessie as she handed Lewis his wrench as he bent over yet another prototype of Carl.

"Thanks. Wire stripper," stated Lewis as he handed the wrench back to Jessie and felt the stripper drop into his hand. He was almost there. He could feel it. Just a few more-

_DING-DONG! _

Next to him, Jessie jumped about a foot off the ground and glanced nervously towards the door. Lewis sighed and set down the wire stripper on the workbench. He looked towards the clock. 2:00 "Jessie, it's just the mail. He come around this time every day, you know that."

"Yeah, I-I know. It's just-"she stuttered, shaking her head and looking towards the ground. Lewis turned towards her and placed a supporting hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. "I know. Everything is gonna be fine, I promise."

"Cornelius, Jessie!" called Lucille breathlessly as she climbed the stairs into the lab, appearing as though she had just run up to them. She was panting and quite pale as the twins quickly walked over to her. She swallowed and said the words Jessie was hoping she should never hear. "Emilia Stevenson is here."

Lewis looked over at Jessie and saw that her blue eyes were wide in fear and she had gone completely white. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. The three of them turned and briskly walked down the stairs towards the entryway of the large house. The three descended the stairs to see Bud glaring at a woman, whose back was turned to them. Her short brown hair was in elegant curls and her sundress of white silk, along with an necklace of pearls clearly said she was very wealthy.

She turned around and appraised them with her hard grey eyes. Her face was long and her skin tanned, and looking as though she had had too much plastic surgery done to her face. Her lip curled slightly in disgust at the grease on Lewis's lab coat but quickly replaced it with an extremely fake smile of delight.

"Jessica, of I am so glad that you are alright," she said in a mock sweet voice as she roughly brought Jessie into her arms. Jessie pushed her grandmother off of her and backed away from her to stand beside Lewis, Lucille and Bud, who was still glaring at the elder women in front of him. Her cold eyes fell on Lewis. "Ah, what a spectacular young man you have become James."

"It's Cornelius," Lewis replied bitterly, his adoptive parents subconsciously moving closer to him and Jessie. Emilia's upper lip curled into a sneer as she gazed at the Robinsons. "Right."

Her gaze shifted once more to Jessie, who had lost most of her fear and was glaring at her grandmother. Her fake smile returned as she clutched her white purse. "Well Jessica, we must be off. Your uncles will be so _pleased _to see you."

When Jessie did not move, Emilia took a step towards her only to be blocked by Bud, who had apparently heard the same emphasis on 'please' that Jessie had. Oh, she knew what would please her uncle's; killing her. Emilia's smile turned into a smirk as Bud stood firm between her and Jessie."She's not going anywhere with you."

"I had a feeling you might say that," she responded all hints of sweetness gone from her voice as she undid the clasp on her purse and reached in, pulling out a folded piece paper and extended it towards Bud. "That's why I brought this."

"What is it?" asked Bud as he cautiously took the paper from her outstretched hand.

"A summon to a hearing," she replied viciously, once more looking at Jessie. "To decide who will obtain custody of Jessica."

She then turned on her heel and headed towards the door as Bud opened the paper and began to scan it. She turned back to them when she reached the door, a smirk on her face, "See you in court."

And with that, she was gone. Lewis looked over at Jessie and saw that her anger had gone and had faded into fear. He swallowed the lump that had been in his throat since he had spoken to Emilia and turned towards his parents. "When's the hearing?"

"October 1st," replied Bud, looking up from the paper towards Lewis and Jessie. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to stop them from taking you and to prove that they are guilty of murder."

"I doubt we can prove that they did it," Jessie responded bitterly."It's not like I can remember that night and play it for the court."

The three Robinson's eyes widened, looking at each other before Lewis looked at Jessie, a smile on his face. She looked around at them in confusion. Why were they smiling? "Actually, we can. With my first invention, the Memory Scanner."


	8. The Hearing

**I beg forgiveness if something is wrong with this scene. I have never been to court before and I hope I never have too. Anyway, enjoy the hearing for the custody of Jessie. **

**Chapter 6-The Hearing **

**October 1st, 2011 **

"All rise," the man's voice was heard clearly throughout the courtroom as the occupants of the court stood as the judge entered. "Judge Anthony Collins presiding."

Anthony Collins was solemn as he entered the courtroom, his face showing no emotion whatsoever. The judge's bench groaned as the forty-seven year old man sat down. He looked out over the court as they resumed their seats. In front of him on his left sat Jacob and Emilia Stevenson. Jacob sat tall, his chin up and his dark brown eyes staring at the witness stand. Unlike his plastic surgery prone wife, Jacob was actually beginning to show his age, his once golden blond hair now a light shade of gray. In the seats behind them sat their twin sons, Jeffery and Jim. Both were replicas of their cold mother. Same hair, same nose, same face shape, same cruel smile. The only thing they had inherited from their father, besides money, was his brown eyes. The entire family gave off a vibe of wealth and cruelty.

Their direct opposites sat on the right side of the courtroom. Bud Robinson sat at the table with his wife, Lucille Krunklehorn-Robinson, their adopted son Cornelius behind them. Unlike the Stevenson's, they radiated a sense of compassion and kindness, even if they were a little odd. Bud was wearing his nicest suit, backwards. Lucille sat beside him in a professional tan dress suit, a little jittery. A caffeine patch barely visible in the shadow of the sleeve's that covered her arms. The young Cornelius also sat in his best suit of dark blue, his blond hair defying gravity as usual as he looked at the nervous girl sitting on the witness stand.

Jessie sat on the witness stand, her eyes traveling all around the room as she was determined not to look at the Stevenson's. She was wearing a black dress suit similar to Lucille's and her blond hair hung down to her shoulders. Her hands were in her lap, nervously playing with the fabric of her sleeve.

"Mr. Robinson," Anthony began in a clear and strong tone. "Why exactly should Jessie go to live with you and not her blood relatives?"

"Aside from the fact we can offer her a home and a loving family, but also to keep her away from those that killed Jason and Amelia Stevenson," Bud replied calmly, standing behind the table at which his wife was still seated.

"Are you accusing the Stevenson's of murdering their youngest son and his wife?" Anthony asked, glancing over at the Stevenson's who seemed to have tensed.

"Yes," Bud replied shortly. Pandemonium broke out at the Stevenson table. The entire court was in an uproar at this accusation.

"Preposterous!" "He's lying.""We would never kill our own son!""That little-little _thief_ told them that!"

"Order!" Anthony yelled, banging his grovel. After a few more bangs of the grovel, the court settled down. Anthony turned back to Bud. "Those are some harsh accusations Mr. Robinson. Are you able to prove it?"

"Yes. You see, my son Cornelius has and inventions that can show forgotten memories on a screen," explained Bud as he stood firm behind the table. "The only witness to the event is already on the stand."

"Ah yes, the Memory Scanner. The invention that started it all for the young inventor," stated Anthony, remembering the article about the invention that made the papers three years prior.

"The very same," stated Lewis as he stood up from his seat behind Bud and Lucille. "It's out in the car actually."

"Bring it in if you will young Robinson," replied Anthony. Lewis quickly moved up the aisle and out of the courtroom doors. _Could this be the day that the mysterious disappearance of Jason Stevenson and his wife was solved? We're they really murdered by their own family?_ These were some of the thoughts going through the mind of Anthony as the court waited in silence for Lewis to return with the Memory Scanner. He looked over at the Stevenson's, who seemed to be nervous. Lewis returned a few minutes later, the Memory Scanner in an old red wagon being pulled behind him. Anthony looked down at the young girl on the witness stand to his right while Lewis and Bud lifted the Scanner onto the table.

"Ms. Stevenson," he noticed the girl visibly flinch at her last name."If you could please join your brother at the table. It is time to prove the guilt or the innocence of the Stevenson family."

Jessie nodded and stood up from the stand. She swallowed an forced herself not to look at her grandparents as she walked past their table and towards the Robinsons, where Lewis stood facing her with a small smile, the headset in his hands. She gave him a small smile in return as she took the headset from him and placed it on her head. Taking a deep breath, the twins turned to face Judge Collins.

Lewis flipped open the old lunchbox and typed the amount of time they were going back into the keypad. Fifteen years, two months and thirty days. He reached over and turned the dial on the front twice and then reached up and pushed the red button on top. The fan on top began to whirl and the entire machine began to rattle and shake on the table. With a swirl of light on the screen, the memory began to play.

_It was a small and dingy single room apartment. The single window in the room was boarded up and the once bright and cheery floral wallpaper was beginning to peel off the walls. A single light blue hanging from the ceiling was the only source of light. _

_ A cry of a baby sounded. The angle moved and showed tiny baby arms flailing inside a faded white crib. A young man came into view, bending over the crib. His brown eyes were soft unlike the rest of his family and his short brown hair was spiked, not with gel or hairspray, it just naturally defied gravity and went up. _

_"Sh, Sh," cooed Jason as he lifted the baby out of the crib, cradling the two month old in his arms. Now that the view was showing the floor, the brown carpet was faded and baby toy's littered the ground. On the other side of the room, pressed up against the wall as a double bed. The baby cried again."Come on honey. Time to go." _

_Jason crossed the room and headed for the door. Holding the baby in one arm, he undid the several paddocks on the door. Just as finish undoing them and went to turn the door handle, the door swung open, making him jump back. Jason gasped, "Jim, Jeffery." _

_"Hello little brother," sneered Jim as they entered the room, Jacob and Emilia entering behind them."Long time no see." _

_Jason shifted the baby and set her down on the bed, where she laid squirming and crying. _

_"You shouldn't have run away and married the wench son," came the seep voice of Jacob Stevenson, full of hate. _

_"Amelia is not a wench," Jason retorted bitterly. _

_Emilia scoffed."Dancer, wench, same thing. Jason, Jason, Jason. You could have been great you know, if you had just stuck to the plan-" _

_"The plan of an arranged marriage to my cousin? Like hell I'd-" _

_BANG! _

_The gunshot rang throughout the room, followed by the thump of Jason's body hitting the ground. For a few moments the only sound in the room was the crying of baby Jessie. Then, Emilia's face entered view, looking down at Jessie in disgust. She lifted the child and held it loosely, but not loosely enough for it to fall."Disgusting little girl." _

_"Jason?" called a female voice in the hallway outside the room. At hearing her mother's voice, baby Jessie began screaming."Jessie!" _

_A moment later a young women stood in the doorway, wearing a long brown coat damp from the rain. The large hood pushed towards the back of her head, stuck on her ponytail full of light blond hair. Her light blue eyes widened at the sight of Emilia holding her daughter, and then traveled to the body of her husband on the floor. _

_"You killed your own son?" Amelia cried in disbelief as she entered the room. She screamed as Jim grabbed her from the shadows behind the door. "And your next you little whore." _

_Jacob appeared beside his wife and looked down at Jessie. Jessie belched and spit up on Jacob, who then glared down at the baby."What a vile little girl." _

_Amelia gave a muffled scream, Jim's hand over her mouth. Emilia and Jacob look at each other and them at Amelia, smirking."Boys, has some fun with her before you kill her." _

_Amelia's eyes widened at this statement as she watched her husband's parents leave the room, her daughter in Emilia's arms. As Jacob and Emilia walked down the dimly lit hallway outside the room, they started laughing when they began to hear Amelia's muffled screams coming from the room behind them. _

The machine began to wind down as the memory faded from the screen. The courtroom was in complete silence at what they had just seen and heard. Lewis and Jessie were staring pale faced and wide eyed at the now black screen. Anthony quickly came out of his shock and nodded to the officer standing beside the courtroom door. The officer then walked outside for a moment. When he returned, there were seven other officer's with him and they strode over to the Stevenson's , told them to stand and began to handcuff their hands behind their backs.

"Stevenson family, you are hereby charged with the murder of Jason and Amelia Stevenson. Jeffery and Jim, you are also being charged with rape," Anthony declared, looking at the family in disgust as the officers began to walk the family out of the courtroom.

"Jessica," began Anthony. Jessie and Lewis looked up at him and were surprised to see him smiling down at them."Ready to officially become a member of the Robinson family?"


	9. Halloween with the Framagucci’s

**Chapter 7-Halloween with the Framagucci's **

**October 31st, 2011 **

Thirty days. It had been almost a whole month since the hearing and Jessica Stevenson was now Jessica Robinson. After the Stevenson's had been taken from the court, custody of Jessie had been signed over to Bud and Lucille and her last name changed to Robinson. Shortly after the papers were signed, Anthony informed Lewis and Jessie that the Stevenson fortune would be theirs they day they turned eighteen.

But right now, they only thing the twins were thinking about were getting ready for the party. Every year since they had met, Franny Framagucci invited Lewis to her family's annual Halloween party. This year, Lewis was going as Dr. Frankenstein while Jessie was going as witch.

"Are you ready yet?" asked Lewis as he knocked on the door to Jessie's bedroom. He was wearing black pants, a white dress shirt with an old and torn white lab coat over it. Top complete the ensemble, he had a stitch painted on his forehead. He pushed up his right sleeve and looked down at his watch. 6:45. "Jessie! We're going to be late! "

The door opened to reveal a smiling Jessie in a simple black dress that went to her knees with long bell sleeves; a pointed black hat set upon her blond hair. "Calm down bro. I'm ready. No need to get your boxers in a bunch."

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny," Lewis rolled his eyes as the two began to walk down the hall towards the entrance hall.

"This party is being held by your girlfriend right?" asked Jessie as they walked down the stairs, her black high heels clicking on the tile.

"Franny is not my girlfriend," Lewis replied shortly, causing Jessie to look over at him with a raised eyebrow as if to say 'yeah right'. _Well, she isn't yet_, he thought as he laughed at his sister's look.

_Ding-Dong _

The sound was heard through the door of the Framagucci household when Lewis pressed the small white button next to the door. It was a small craftsmen style home just a few blocks away from downtown Todayland. The front yard was aglow with Halloween decorations. Blowup pumpkins, orange lights, gravestones, and cobwebs littered the small front yard. The porch was no different. A skeleton sat on the wooden swing, a pumpkin sitting next to it; bats and cobwebs hung down from the rafters and fog settled just above the ground.

"Cornelius!" yelled Franny when she opened the door and took in the new arrivals. The fourteen year old was dressed in an elegant off-white gown of satin, her black hair in a braid and in a matching headband. Jessie looked over at Lewis and saw that his mouth was open as he stared at Franny. She stifled a snort, which knocked Lewis out of his trance.

"Franny! You-you look great," he stammered as Franny flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks. I'm Elizabeth from Pride & Prejudice," she replied as they pulled apart. She then noticed Jessie standing beside him and her smiled widened. She stepped forward and offered her hand. "Hi, I'm Franny. You must be Jessie. Cornelius has told me all about you."

"Nothing bad I hope," Jessie responded as she shook Fanny's hand, glancing over at Lewis who smiled sheepishly in return.

"No, nothing bad," she replied with a laugh, smiling over at Lewis. She stood aside and held the door open for them. They walked past Franny and into the living room of the home, with was decorated even more so then the outside. Black and orange hung from the ceiling, the furniture was covered in black sheets, and small bowels of candy were set on the coffee table and fireplace mantel and Halloween music played throughout the small three bedroom home. Off of the living room were two doors. One led to the kitchen and dining room while the other led to the bedrooms and the main bathroom.

There were only a few people there that Lewis recognized as he looked around the room. Eighteen year old Art, dressed as a chef, was sitting on the couch talking to a blond girl dressed as a mermaid that he did not recognize. There was a cowboy and a ballerina he recognized from elementary school, though he could not remember their names. There were several more people he did not recognize and then there was Gaston, dressed as Evel Knievel and being chased out of the kitchen by his mother.

"Gaston, how many time do I have to tell you," yelled Kristina Framagucci as she pushed her middle son out of the kitchen. "Stop taking all the meat balls. Leave some for everyone else."

"Sorry mom," apologized the sixteen-year old sadly, his shoulders slumped and his head hanging as he began to make his way towards the hallway to the bedrooms. Kristina looked after him and rolled brown eyes after her middle son, her right hand on her hip. Kristina's long black hair was up in a tight bun on the back of her head and she was dressed in a dark blue Japanese kimono. She smiled as Franny, Lewis and Jessie approached her. "Hello Cornelius, good to see you again."

"Good to see you too Mrs. Framagucci," Lewis responded with a smile. Kristina laughed and shook her head at her daughter's good friend. "How many times must I tell you to call me Kris? Mrs. Framagucci makes me feel old."

"Sorry," apologized Lewis, a slight blush in his cheeks as Franny giggled at his reaction to her mother. Kris laughed an extended a hand towards Jessie. "You must be the newest inhabitant of the Robinson household."

"That would be me," Jessie replied as she shook the woman's hand with a smile. Kris smiled and glance towards Franny. "I found out before the press did through Franny's yell over the phone of 'You have a what!?' I'm pretty sure the entire neighborhood heard you dear."

"Yeah, she was pretty loud when I told her on the phone that evening," commented Lewis, rubbing his right ear. Franny turned and glared at him before punching his arm. He exclaimed and moved from rubbing his ear to rubbing his arm, frowning as Jessie laughed at him.

_BOOM _

The blonde mermaid on the couch let out a scream when an explosion rocked the house, causing one of the candy bowls on the mantel to crash to the ground and shatter on the hardwood floor. The pictures on the wall shake but only one fell. Kris let out a groan of frustration and walked over to the hallway towards the bedrooms. The second to last door flew open and black smoke poured into the hallway, causing the fire alarm to go off. A moment later, Gaston stumbled out of the room, his costume signed.

"Gaston Framagucci!" Gaston cringed as he approached his mother at the end of the hallway where she stood with her arms folded over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently as he son took his time walking over to her. "You know you're not supposed to work on your cannons in the house! How many time-"

Kris stopped and stared at something on the floor behind Gaston. She pushed him aside and knelt down to pick up the fallen picture, whose frame had shattered when it hit the floor. After a few moments knelling, she stood back up and turned around towards Gaston. She glared at her son, tears visible in her eyes. "Grounded. Two weeks."

With that she turned and went into the room at the end of the hallway, slamming the door shut behind her. Gaston hung his head and went back into his room, pulling the door closed softly behind him. Art stood up from the couch and made his way over to the door of Gaston's room and knocked softly before entering. Franny sighed and shook her head before walking into the hallway, Lewis and Jessie not far behind her. She reached the wall from where the picture had hung and let out a sigh and hung her head as she realized which one it was. Lewis walked over to her and placed a comforting arm over her shoulder. "Which one was it?"

"Mom and dad's wedding picture," Franny replied softly, leaning her head against Lewis's shoulder.

Jessie bit her lip. "What happened to your dad?"

Franny lifted her head from Lewis's shoulder and looked up at Jessie. "He died five years ago. Hit by a drunk driver."

"I'm sorry," Jessie replied quietly. "At least you got to know him."


	10. Homeschooling for Jessie

**Okay, I know this chapter is short but I could not think of anything else to happen. The next several chapters will be fillers, going though Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter before any action is going to happen again. It's just gonna be everyday life in the Robinson family. **

**Chapter 8-Homeschooling for Jessie **

**November 7th, 2011 **

Two days after the Halloween party at the Framagucci's, Bud and Lucille decided that after New Years, Jessie would start her freshman year at Joyce Williams High School. But before that time, she had quite a bit of schooling to catch up on.

"So m is the slope of the line?" asked Jessie, studying the equation on the paper in front of her. She and Lewis were currently sitting side by side at the dining room table, going over the slope formula in algebra. Lewis nodded and opened his mouth to reply when the door bell rang. "And that should be Franny."

"And she'll be helping me with English right?" Jessie asked as Lewis closed the math book and set it aside.

"And Spanish," added Franny from the doorway to the dining room. She was wearing a black skirt with a red blouse and her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a cowlick clearly visible near the front. On her shoulder sat a single frog. She smiled brightly at Lewis and Jessie as she walked over to them. "I hope you don't mind. I thought Frankie could do with some fresh air."

"Not at all Franny," Lewis replied with a smile as Franny sat down on the other side of Jessie, Frankie letting out a croak from her shoulder. "How are they coming along?"

"Nothing yet," she replied. Jessie looked back and forth between the two in confusion. Franny let out a small laugh at the look on her face. "Sorry. You see, I'm teaching frog's music. Frankie here is my star pupil. Your brother is one of the few that believe I can do it."

Jessie glanced at Lewis and smiled at the slight pink tinge to his cheeks before turning back to franny."I believe you too."

"Really?" asked Franny in disbelief, smiling at Jessie.

"Hey if I can find my brother after fifteen years and prove what really happened to our family with one of his inventions, then anything's possible. No matter how crazy it sounds," Jessie replied. Franny suddenly reached over and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Lewis laughed from the other side as Jessie began to turn blue before Franny let go.

Franny let go of Jessie and the two girls turned to look at Lewis. They glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to the still laughing Lewis, smirking. Lewis stopped laughing at their smirks and looked between the two girls.

"What are you laughing at chicken legs," began Jessie, smiling as Lewis cringed at his nickname. "You're next."

Twenty minutes later the three were back at the dining room table, Lewis now extremely quiet. After Jessie started that he was next, he knocked over the chair and bolted out of the room. Unfortunately he only made it about twenty feet out of the room before he was caught but the two girls and pulled into a bone crushing hug till he turned blue from lack of oxygen. Now, Jessie and Franny were beginning to work on English, starting with Romeo and Juliet.

"Question? What the hell language is this?" exclaimed Jessie after reading the first page of the play and not understanding a word of it.

"It's English," Franny replied with a laugh, Frankie once more perched on her shoulder. "Just old English."

"You think this is bad, wait till you get to Beowulf," Lewis stated, remembering the story from when he took British Literature in High School. Jessie turned and glared at him, punching his arm."Ow! What was that for?"

"Giving me something to look forward to," she replied sarcastically before turning back to Franny, who was watching the two with a smile.


	11. The Start of a Tradition

**Chapter 9- The Start of a Tradition**

**November 24****th****, 2011**

Over the next three weeks, studying continued for Jessie. She found that English was no her strong suit, history was just plain boring, she was horrible at Spanish, and that she would leave science to her brother. She did however find she was beginning to understand what was going on in algebra and was beginning to be quite good at the subject.

They had to take a break from studying when Franny's mother announced the week before that the family would be going out of town for thanksgiving to spend it with her grandmother who lived a few hours north of Todayland. So while Franny and her family were gone, homeschooling was on hold for the weekend and Jessie was ecstatic, not only about the break from studying, but to spend the holiday with her brother and new parents.

Now it was thanksgiving and the Robinson family was in the dining room sitting at the oval table, which was covered in dishes of Lucille's cooking. Even though she was a scientist at Invent-co, she sure knew how to cook a fabulous meal. The dining room table was covered in food. A large golden brown turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, cresent rolls, green beans, yams, stuffing, and a classic pumpkin pie for dessert. The family of four chatted while they ate, Lewis telling his parents how Carl was coming, talking animatedly with his hands. Unknown to him while talking, a bit of mashed potatoes were still on his spoon.

"I'm so close to getting it to work, I can fee-" Lewis stopped mid sentence as the potatoes that had been on his spoon flew off and across the table, splattering right on to Jessie's face. Jessie, who had a cresent half-way into her mouth at the time, lowered her hand back down and set the cresent back on her plate. She then reached up and whipped the potatoes off her face before glaring across at Lewis.

"You're gonna pay for that chicken leg," she stated, getting a spoonful of stuffing and flinging it at him, hitting Lewis right in the face. Bud and Lucille looked between the two teens before glancing at each other, smiling.

"It was an accide-"Lewis was cut off mid sentence once again, this time due to a spoonful of yams from Bud. Lewis whipped the yams off his face and turned to look at his father to see the older man grinning in satisfaction before being nailed in the face by potato's launched by Jessie. Lewis laughed at his father but stopped when he was hit in the face with stuffing from his mother.

"Every man for himself!" Jessie yelled as she dumped the food of her plate and began to use it as a shield while she threw food in every direction. Lewis laughed as she launched some potatoes at her. They went up over her plate and right into her hair. She looked up over her plate at him and glared. "Oh, you are so dead!"

Lewis laughed as he ducked her throw of potatoes only to be hit in the side of the head by yams from his mother. So this is how the Robinson tradition had started, all with him accidentally launching his potatoes at Jessie. The fifteen year old inventor smiled as he nailed his dad with stuffing. The future that he had seen four years ago was still set to happen, which meant that this night was just the beginning of many family food fights to come.


	12. Family Time

**-peeks out from behind door, holding a white flag- sorry it's been so long since I undated. My muse was running high for World War, and only that. But now that that story is almost complete and I've made it past the final battle, my muse for this has returned full force!**

**Chapter 10-Family Time**

**December 15****th****, 2011**

Three weeks after Thanksgiving, Todayland woke up to find itself under a blanket of fresh, white snow. The snow plows were sent out to clear the roads, people dug out their warmest cloths, and the local outdoor ice rink opened for the season. It was on this day, the first snow of the year, that the Robinson family continued a tradition that had begun four years prior, just after they had adopted Lewis.

The tradition was that every year, one the first day it was open, the family would go to the outdoor ice rink and skate for a couple hours. Unlike the previous four years, the family now had four members and Jessie found herself anticipating her first time on the ice.

"You ready?" Lewis asked Jessie, who stood clinging to the wall around the rink, her feet still on the deck that surrounded the stake rental and refreshment stand next to the rink. Already skating around, Bud and Lucille watched their son and daughter's interaction with loving and proud smiles.

Jessie nodded and took Lewis's extended hand. With a deep breath, she stepped out onto the ice. She gasped at the feeling of the slippery ice underneath the blade and immediately had trouble keeping her balance. She flung out the arm that Lewis wasn't holding and tried to use it to help her keep her balance. Lewis grabbed her shoulder and steadied her.

"Okay, now that you're balanced you can try to move forward. To do that, just move one foot at a time," Lewis explained, slowly moving forward on his skates. Jessie looked down and began to copy his movements.

After a few moments, she was moving forward and keeping up with her brother. She laughed as the two moved forward. Lewis smiled over at her. "Ready to try on your own?"

She smiled toward him and nodded. Taking a deep breath, she let go of his hand. She let out a whoop of excitement as she now moved forward on her own. She moved around the rink on her own, picking up speed as she went. As she went around the curve of the rink, she spread out her arms and closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling of moving freely across the ice.

After a few moments she opened her eyes and continued to skate around the rink, Lewis not far behind her. She laughed and glanced over her shoulder at him. "I think I'm getting the hang of this!"

Her laughter was cut short as she felt her body move the wrong way and lose balance. She swayed for a moment before falling backwards, landing hard on the ice. She groaned and tried to shift her body, only to find it was extremely painful. Lewis skated forward and stopped just above her head, looking down at her in concern. "Are you okay?"

"My ass hurts," she replied, glaring up at him before pushing herself up into a sitting position as Bud and Lucille glided over to them. With their help, she was lifted up and they slowly moved over to the deck.

"Well you were doing well," Lucille stated as they helped Jessie carefully sit down on one of the benches on the deck.

Jessie rolled her shoulders and groaned as she felt a crick in her back pop loudly. "I think I jinxed it."

"Don't worry," Lucille began with a chuckle. "We come here every year. You'll be a pro in no time."


	13. Oh Christmas Tree

**Chapter 11 – Oh Christmas Tree**

**December 24****th**** 2011**

The next week passed quickly and before she knew it, it was Christmas Eve. To be more precise, Jessie's first Christmas as a Robinson. After five years on the streets, the fifteen year old was egger to spend Christmas with her new family.

The house was decorated with tinsel and garland and every kind of decoration you could think of was placed around the house, both inside and out. The only thing missing was the tree. It was a tradition in the Robinson family, dating back to Bud's own grandfather that the father and son (if there was a son that generation) would go out and get the Christmas tree.

So, an hour after leaving the house, Bud and Lewis returned with a seven and a half foot tall pine tree. Getting the tree off of the car and into the house was easy. It was tilting the tall tree up in its stand that was the tricky part.

"Are you sure you two don't want any help?" Lucille asked from the doorway connecting the kitchen to the living room. Lewis and Bud were trying to tilt the tree into the base just in front of the large window in the room.

"Nah," Bud's hand was barely visible through branches of the tree. "Me and Cornelius got it."

Jessie entered the doorway beside Lucille and shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "This can't end well, can it?"

"No," Lucille replied before turning around and walking back into the kitchen, where she and Jessie were baking Christmas cookies. Jessie rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen.

A few minutes later after yet another failed attempt to get the tree up into its stand, Lewis craned his neck to look over the tree at his father. "Dad, the only way were going to get this tree up is with someone that is eight feet tall."

While his father muttered his agreement, Lewis's mind began to reel. Eight feet tall. He did know someone that was eight feet tall. Carl. All he had to do was finish the wiring and the robot would be ready for activation. And right now, he was able to see exactly what had been off with the wiring. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Bud asked from the other side of the large tree.

"I know why the wiring on Carl is always off. It was a simple miscalculation! I fix that and he could help us get this thing up!" Lewis explained quickly in one breath. All this time it had been a simple fix in the wiring. Lewis dropped the tree and ran to the kitchen doorway. "Jessie!"

Jessie and Lucille looked up from rolling the balls of dough to see Lewis at the doorway, looking extremely excited. Jessie finished her ball and quickly washed her hands. "What?"

"I need your help to get Carl up and running," he explained as he ran out of the kitchen and began to make his was up to the lab, Jessie not far behind him.

"Your robot? Lewis wha-" Jessie asked after him. An expression of understanding began to form on her face as they got closer to the lab. "He can help with the Christmas tree!"

"Exactly," Lewis replied as the two reached the lab doors. He pushed them open, flipped the light switch beside them and ran up the stairs to the dome. Jessie briefly looked up as she crossed the lab to her brother's workstation. Snow was lightly falling onto the glass, the lights of Todayland reflecting off the underside of the clouds, giving the sky a lighted and mystical look.

Jessie approached the table where Lewis was standing, pliers in hand as he opened up the chest panel of Carl. "What do you need me to do?"

"Can you get me the wire cutters?" Lewis asked his face close to Carl as he looked inside at the wiring. Jessie nodded and walked over to the tool chest, opened one of the drawers and pulled out the wire cutters. She walked back over to the table and handed them to Lewis.

Lewis took the cutters and cut two of the wires before handing them back to Jessie. He then picked up the wire stripper on the table beside him. He stripped the ends of the two wires before setting down to tool and picking up the electrical tap. He looked around the table for scissors to cut the heavy duty tape.

"Scissors?" Lewis looked up to see Jessie smirking, holding his black handled scissors towards him. HE took them from her, muttering his thanks as he cut two small strips and wrapped them around the wire, holding the two cute wires firmly together. He straightened up and set down the scissors on the table. He replaced the panel, crossed his fingers and flipped the small switch on the right side of Carl's head, just under the antenna.

Jessie and Lewis watch in amazement as the blue eyes flicker to life. Carl flexes his hands before sitting up and turning to them. The twins gaped as what seemed to be a smiled appeared on the robot's face. "Hello there."

Jessie continued to gap as Lewis moved forward to talk to the robot. "Hello Carl. I'm Cornelius Lewis Robinson and she is my sister Jessica Marie Robinson."

Jessie was knocked out of her shock and glared at her brother before smiling at Carl. "Please, call me Jessie."

"Hello. Nice to meet you," Carl replied, jumping off the table to stand next to them on the floor. The golden robot was several inches taller than the two teens and had to look down at them.

"Hey Carl, you think you can help us with our Christmas tree?" Lewis asked, smiling up at the robot that would someday be a very good friend of his, and keep a watchful eye on his one day trouble maker of a son.

"No problem," Carl responded before walking out of the lab, leaving Jessie and Lewis walking down the stairs behind him.

"How does he know where he's going?" Jessie asked as she and Lewis followed Carl on his way down to the living room.

"It's in his logic programming. He knows everything, just like a computer but he will learn things just like you and I would," Lewis explained. The two entered the living room to see that Carl had extended his legs and was now holding the tree up while Bud fastened it into the base. The two smiled as they watched their new friend help their father, their mother watching fascinated from the doorway to the kitchen.


	14. High Expectations

**Chapter 12 – High Expectations**

**January 9****th****, 2012**

It had been three weeks since Christmas and Carl's activation. Since then, the tree had come down, Carl was quickly grasping the personalities of the Robinson family, and when it hit the second week of January; Jessie's first day of at Joyce Williams High School, home of the Hawks.

The school consisted of three buildings and a football stadium/soccer and track field. The main building was long and five stories tall and contained all the classrooms. The second building as tall a square; it held the gymnasium and the locker rooms. The third building was the smallest of the three and long and narrow; there was the campus theater. The layout was the main building closest to the street, the stadium directly to its right. Behind it was a courtyard and outdoor theater that separated the main building from the gym and theater.

Bud, Lucille and Lewis had dropped her off and made sure she got her schedule, but now as she walked towards her first class, she was alone. She walked along the empty hallway on the first floor, classes already underway. She looked down at the schedule in her hand and looked at the number on the door she now stood in front of. She took a deep breath, placed her hand on the handle and opened the door.

The teacher, a thin brunette by the name of Mrs. Genève Anderson, stopped talking and looked over at Jessie. She had her long brown hair up in a bun and was wearing an old and worn white lab coat that reminded Jessie of her brother. Mrs. Anderson smiled and gestured for her to enter to room. Jessie walked forward into the room and the door closed softly behind her.

The room was long and brightly lit. Three columns of workbenches filled the room, all the students of the class looking towards Jessie. Jessie looked away from the class and back towards Mrs. Anderson.

"You must be Jessica Robinson," greeted Mrs. Anderson, stepping away from the workbench at the front of the room to greet Jessie. "Welcome to first period Biology."

"Thank you and please, call me Jessie," she replied, giving the teacher a small, thankful smile.

"You can sit beside Adam Connors. Adam, please raise your hand," a hand near the rear of the room rose up into the air. Mrs. Anderson gestured for her to take her seat. Jessie nodded and quickly made her way back to where Adam sat.

When she reached the workbench four rows from the back, she spotted the open seat beside Adam. He was a tall, muscular brunette. His dark brown hair matched his brown eyes, his jaw was strong and square and he wore a blue and gray (the school colors) letterman jacket. She quietly sat down on the open stool and dropped her dark blue side bag to the floor beside her.

He looked over at her and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks as he studied her. She looked back up at the now speaking Mrs. Anderson, what she was say Jessie had no idea for at that moment, Adam spoke. His voice was a deep baritone. "So, think you can help me out with my homework sometime?"

"What?" Jessie snapped, her head whipping around to look at him with a curious expression.

"I need at least a 'C' in her to stay on the football team. Think you can tutor me?" he asked again, his brown eyes scanning her up and down once more.

"How can I help you when I barely know what's going on myself?" she snapped quietly at him. What was he playing at?

"But aren't you a genius like your brother?" he asked her. Her face fell blank and her eyebrows shoot up towards her hairline. So that's what this was about. He, and probably everyone else on the campus, thought she was like Lewis. Her shock quickly disappeared as her eyebrow furrowed together to glare at Adam.

"No, I am not. And I would appreciate if you would not judge me so quickly," she stated loudly. The entire room had gone quiet and everyone had turned around to stare at her. She glared around at them all. "That goes for you too. I'm not like my brother. I may look like him but we are different."

Her statement to her classmates was met with silence and dropped jaws. At the front of the room, Mrs. Anderson was smiling at the effect Jessie had had on her fellow students. She cleared her throat and everyone turned back to her. "Now that Adam has stopped bugging Jessie, can we please get back t the lesson?"

The class was a mumble of apologies. Jessie smiled up at her teacher. At least someone in the room had understood she was not a genius like her brother.


	15. A Face from the Past

**Chapter 13 –A Face from the Past**

Jessie sighed as she walked along the hallway on the fifth floor, where all the elective classes were held. It was now two periods after Biology and she was on her way to her forth period class, right before lunch. Word of her outburst in first period had spread like wildfire so luckily no one in any of her other classes had asked her for help.

She had walked into her third period English class to find she had it with Franny, so at least she would have a class with someone she knew and the two had planned on meeting up for lunch before parting ways, Franny heading to Algebra on the second floor and Jessie heading up to the fifth floor for her elective class; choir. When preparing her schedule that morning, she had been asked what elective she would like; choir, gardening, weights, auto shop, woodshop, or other classes she didn't even remember the names of they had sounded so boring.

So here she was, pushing open the set of gray double doors that marked the entrance to the choir room. She blinked furiously as the doors closed behind her. The room was very bright and very large; nearly two times the size of the Biology classroom. One wall contained three large windows, letting bright and warm light into the room. The opposite wall was lined with mirrors, like you would find in a dance studio. On the end opposite the doors was another smaller room; the teacher's office. An upright black piano sat near the door. Three rows of straight backed, black chairs faced the mirrored wall, the students in the choir milling around the room, talking to each other about their winter vacation.

Jessie took a seat in one of the chairs in the back row, right near a window and set her bag down beside her. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, the sun shining in nice and warm against her. She jumped slightly as the bell rang and the students moved to take their seats, none noticing her.

Out of the office came a short young man with fading dark brown hair. Her smiled as he spotted his students and began to hand out stacks of music for them to pass around. He reached the center of the room and clapped his hands together. "Welcome back High Fliers! And besides starting competition music today, we also welcome a new student. Jessica Robinson, where are you?"

Jessie stood up from her seat and walked to the front of the room. He held out his hand for her to shake. She shook it with a smile. "Please, call me Jessie Mr. Thomson."

"Welcome to High Fliers Jessie, the advanced show and chamber choir here at Joyce Williams," he replied in his bright and cheery tenor voice. "What part do you sing?"

"Um, high?" she responded, sure of what to say. He nodded in agreement and gestured for her to head back to her seat. She nodded and made her way back to her seat as he began to talk to the class.

The young brunette in front of her turned around in his chair and smiled at her. His hair was dark brown and spiked and he had deep blue eyes that seemed very familiar to Jessie. "Hey. I'm Jacob Collins. Nice to see you again Jess."

"What? Again?" she gasped as she looked at him. She looked at him closely before gasping once more, recognizing who he was. "Jake? Is that you?"

He nodded and moved to sit in the chair beside her as Mr. Thompson went back to his office to get more music. "What's with the Collins?"

"The judge that presided over your hearing adopted me five years ago," he replied with a sad smile as the two old friends hugged tightly. He pulled away, still smiling at her. Jessie smiled brightly back, happy to see her old friend. "Life's been good ever since for me, but it seems that you haven't had it so good since that night."

"Living on the streets and on the run from your birth family wasn't easy," she responded, looking at the music that had been handed to her by a girl in front of her, but not really seeing what was on the page.

"But you've found d your brother and life is good for you now huh?" he asked happily. _Same old Jake, always looking on the bright side of things_. No wonder they had been such good friends during their short time together.

"Yep. And the Stevenson's are in prison, along with Summers. Thank God for that," she sighed, slumping down in the chair as far as she could.

"Jake, please show our new student how to behave in class and not how to fool around. First competition is in March so please pay attention," called Mr. Thomson as he pushed the piano for where it had been sitting near the office to the front of the room.

"Sorry Mr. Thomson," he called back before winking over at Jessie and whispering, "We'll talk later, okay?"

She nodded in reply before looking down at the several songs in her lap, some dating back to the early 2000's. As Mr. Thomson began to play the soprano part, Jessie read along happy to have another friend around and glad that the piano lessons she had been forced to take when younger were finally going to be put to use.


	16. A Push in the Right Direction

**Chapter 14 – A Push in the Right Direction**

**January 26****th****, 2012**

Almost three weeks had past and Jessie was now accustomed to life at Joyce Williams High School. She was doing pretty well in her classes, she found that English was a blast what with having it with Franny. The two sat next to each other and became closer then they had before school had started. Choir had quickly become her favorite class, having found that she was indeed a soprano and had a very strong voice.

It became a habit that during lunch, she, Franny and Jake would eat on the second steps of the outdoor theater in between the buildings of the school. Franny and Jake got along well enough and some days, Franny's good friend Lizzie would join them.

Now however, Jessie and Franny were sitting in English class, taking notes on _Romeo and Juliet_ when Franny leaned over towards Jessie. "So, you going to winter formal?"

Jessie glanced away from the board to look over at Franny. The winter formal had been announced the week she started that it would be the twenty eighth of January, that weekend. Jessie shrugged and turned back to look at the board. "I don't know. Maybe. Are you going?"

"If the right guy asks me, yes," she replied quietly, looking down at her paper with a slight blush in her cheeks.

"Let me guess. The right guy is my brother?" Jessie asked with a smirk. Franny's blush increased, confirming Jessie's suspicion of her good friend had feelings for Lewis, just as he did for Franny.

"Yes. But the problem is, he is not a student here," she explained, putting on a pout in Jessie's direction. Jessie rolled her eyes at her friend as she copied down the next sentence the teacher had written on the board. "Fine. I'll drop some hints around him this afternoon."

"You're the best Jess," Franny squeaked before turning back to the board, a bright grin on the brunettes face.

Jessie rolled her eyes once more and smirked over at Franny. "And don't you forget it."

* * *

"Hey bro. Hey Carl," greeted Jessie from the doorway to the lab. Lewis looked up and smiled at her before looking back down at his current project; the hover car. Carl stood beside him, helping the young inventor as he worked on the design concept of the car.

"Hello Jessie," Carl greeted with a smile as she made her way over to the desk where Lewis sat, bent over his notebook.

"Hey bro, whacha doing this weekend?" Jessie asked, hoping up on the far corner of the desk and leaning back on her hands, smirking over at him. What was she trying to get him to do now?

"I don't know. Why?" he asked suspiciously, turning away from his work to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Because the high schools winter formal is this Saturday and Franny has yet to find a date," she replied, her smirk growing wider. Lewis opened his mouth to reply, only to find his voice gone. Asking Franny to the dance? Sure he knew he would marry her in the future and he really like her in the present, but asking her out now? That was a task that seemed daunting to the young inventor.

Jessie let out a laugh at his silence. "You? Cornelius Robinson, a world famous inventor, scared of asking the girl he likes to one high school dance?"

He nodded, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks as he did so. He had gone to the future, saved the future from an evil bowler hat, all at the age of twelve. But now, four years later, he couldn't ask his future wife to a simple school dance. He swallowed and looked back up at Jessie to see her smiling at him. "You really like her, don't you?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I do."

"Then ask her to the dance tomorrow. I know she likes you too, so go for it," she encouraged, jumping off the desk to move over to him and give his shoulder a supportive squeeze.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes tomorrow, that's when the tickets go off sale," she explained, her hand still on his shoulder as she smiled down at him. "I know you can do it bro."


	17. Just Do It

**Chapter 15 – Just Do It**

**January 27****th****, 2012**

The next day at ten to two found Lewis walking down the hallway on the third floor of Joyce Williams High School, his hands shoved into the pockets of the light blue hoodie he was currently wearing. Jessie had told him that Franny had Algebra sixth period on the third floor, for the two girls would always meet up after class and head out of the school together.

Lewis jumped as the bell rang and students burst out of the classrooms, eager to get out of the building for the weekend. His light blue eyes scanned the hallway, looking for a glimpse of her black hair. After a few moments, he spotted her at the far end of the hallway, walking out of the classroom with Lizzie. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards her.

"Cornelius? What are you doing here?" Franny asked when she spotted him when he was only a few feet away. Franny stopped where she was and stared at Lewis in shock. Lizzie looked back and forth between the two before rolling her eyes. "Later Franny."

"Later Lizzie," Franny called after the girl as she walked away, not taking her brown eyes off Lewis as she closed the gap between the two to just a few feet. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I….I just wanted-ed to ask you," he stuttered. He bit his lip and ran his rant hand through his hair. Good lord this was hard. He took a deep breath and looked down at her expectant face. "Ask me what?"

"I-I just," he stuttered again. He sighed and bit his lip. For a split second, he glanced up over Franny's shoulder and spotted Jessie at the far end of the hallway coming down the last few steps of the stairs from the fourth floor where she had history. She spotted him and smiled before slowly backing up the few steps to where he could no longer see her. Lewis looked away from where she had disappeared and looked back down at Franny, who was still grinning up at him. He took a deep breath and asked, "Would you like to go to the winter formal with me?"

Franny's grin widened. She reached forward grabbed his right hand and laced their fingers together. She nodded as their interlocked hands hung between them. "I'd love to."

* * *

Jessie sighed as she hitched her back further up on her shoulder. History had been extremely boring as usual. It would have been interesting if she had gotten a teacher that didn't continently speak in a monotone voice that put her instantly to sleep. _Well, at least it's the weekend_, she thought as she reached the staircase and began to make her way down to meet up with Franny.

When she reached the bottom step, she froze and smiled at the sight before her. Lewis and Franny stood together in the nearly empty hallway, her brother looking extremely nervous. She locked eyes with him when he looked up and she gave him an encouraging smile before she back up the last few steps to give them a little privacy.

She leaned back against the opposite wall, a huge grin on her face. Her brother and one of her best friends. How cool was that! Maybe someday the two would get married and then she and Franny would be sisters! That would be even cooler.

"Hey Jessie," greeted a voice from beside her. She looked and smiled when she saw Jacob leaning against the wall on the step above her. "Why are you just standing here?"

"That's a good question Jessie," came Lewis's sarcastic voice from below her. Jessie looked down and her smiled widened when her eyes landing on Lewis and Franny's interlaced hands. Jessie laughed and made her way down the final few steps, Jake right behind her. She folded her hands over her chest and smirked at him and Franny. "Oh, I just wanted to give you two lovebirds some privacy."

Jessie's smirked widened and she heard Jake laugh behind her as both Lewis and Franny blushed. She shook her head and moved to the staircase heading down to the second floor. "Well, if you wanna go to the dance tomorrow, I suggest you go down to the office and bye your ticket before it's too late."

Franny laughed as the four began to make their way down the staircase. "Yeah, may help to have the tickets to get in."

"Hey Jess," Jake asked when they reached the second floor. She stopped and turned to face him. Lewis and Franny glanced at each other before moving to head down to the first floor.

"What's up Jake?" she asked, grinning up at his 6'2" height from where she stood at 5'7".

"Who are you going to the dance with?" he asked, a slight blush appearing in his cheeks as he looked down at the ground. Jessie's jaw dropped. Jacob liked her? Liked her, like her? How would this affect their friendship if he wanted more? And she didn't like him as more than a friend. How could she? She hadn't seen him in over five years and had only grown closer to him in the last three weeks. She couldn't like him. She snapped her jaw closed before he noticed and asked herself, _are you sure you don't like him?_

She looked up at him and smiled at his sudden shyness around her. Okay, so maybe she could see herself going out with him. He was one of her best friends. He was sweet, positive, caring, and funny. Jessie stopped mid thought. Yeah, she defiantly could see herself with someone like Jake. With this final thought, she reached up, placed her hand under his chin and lifted his head so she could look at him.

She smiled as blue met blue and a bubbling feeling occurred deep within her. Yep, now that she thought about it, how could she not like him? She stood up and softly pressed her lips to his cheek, feeling the heat rise in them from her action. She pulled away and grinned at him. "I'd love too."


	18. Winter Formal

**Chapter 16 – Winter Formal**

**January 28****th****, 2012**

Early Saturday morning, Jessie, Lucille and Franny had gone dress shopping. The last time they had been seen had been when they were pulling out of the drive way and Lewis had no idea if they were even back yet until Lucille came up to the lab, where Lewis was working a little after lunch time. She told him that the girls had found dresses and that Jessie was going to stay at Franny's so the two could get dress together.

Now, Lewis was fidgeting in the doorway of the Framagucci residence, waiting for Franny to come to the door. He was wearing a black tux with a simple black tie, that way he would match whatever color Franny was wearing. The door opened and Lewis felt his jaw drop. Franny stood there looking even better, if that was possible, then she had on Halloween.

She wore a spaghetti strap, turquoise dress that reached her knees. Around her neck hung on a thin silver chain, a small turquoise heart crystal. Her black hair was exquisitely pinned up with a white, sparkling flower. She wore very light make-up, very faint turquoise eye shadow made her brown eyes pop. She smiled shyly at him, a blush appearing in her cheeks.

He closed his mouth and offered her his arm. "Shall we go?"

The blush faded slightly as she smiled at him and linked her arm with his. "We shall."

Before turning away for the door, Lewis noticed that something, or someone, was missing. He looked over at Franny with confusion of his face. "I thought Jessie was with you?"

"Oh. Jacob picked her up about ten minutes ago," she explained as the moved towards where Bud sat in the car to take them to the high school.

"Oh," Lewis responded as he opened the car door to let Franny in. He heard Bud greet her before climbing in after her.

* * *

A half hour later Lewis and Franny walked into the transformed gym of Joyce Williams High School. Gone was the smell of sweaty gym socks and athlete foot. The large room was decked out in blue and white. The bleachers were closed up and covered by a large white satin cloth the stage where the D.J. was set up just before it. Blue and white tarps hung from the ceiling, blocking the normal view of the wooden rafters. With Franny on his arm, the two took off in search of Jessie and Jake.

After crossing the gym, they spotted them at the refreshment table about twenty feet to the left of the D.J. Jake was wearing a tux styled similar to Lewis's, but instead of being black it was a very dark blue. Next to Jake stood an almost unrecognizable Jessie.

She wore a dress off pale blue that reached her knees. It hung of her shoulder's leaving them bare as the long bell sleeves cover her arms. Her blond hair was styled in a similar fashion to Franny's and adorned with a light blue butterfly. When she turned around and spotted Lewis and Franny, Lewis spotted that, like Franny, she had worn very little make-up. Her blue eyes popped at the effect the light blue eye shadow created and around her neck hung a small, clear crystal butterfly.

She smiled at Lewis's dropped jaw as she approached him and Franny, smiling brightly. She walked over to him and pushed his slack jaw closed. "Remember this bro, for you will not see me this dressed up very often. Too much of a hassle."

"Well, then the few times you do get dress up, I will tell you that you look fantastic," he replied, pulling his sister into a light hug, careful not to mess up her dress or hair.

"Thanks bro. You clean up pretty good yourself," Jessie replied as the twins separated and moved back to stand beside their dates. An upbeat song began to play and with a smile, Jake began to pull Jessie towards the dance floor. She waved back at him before giving in and fallowing Jake. "Later bro!"

Lewis shook his head before looking over at Franny beside him and holding out his hand. "Wanna dance?"

* * *

Near the end of the dance, the final slow song was announced and played. Jessie had her arms around Jakes neck and his hands rested on her waist. They weren't looking at each other though. They were looking at the dancing Lewis and Franny through the gap of people. There position was similar to that of Jessie and Jake, but they were a lot closer together. Franny's head was currently resting on Lewis's shoulder; both of them had their eyes closed as they swayed to the music.

Jessie watched in glee as the two opened their eyes to look at each other. They stared at each other for a few moments before slowly, very slowly, their head moved closer together until their lips touched. Jessie removed one of her hands from around Jakes neck and stuffed it into her mouth to stop herself from cheering in glee. Her brother and best friend had just kissed!

"I'm guessing you're happy with your brother's choice in girls?" Jake asked. Jessie tore her eyes away from the site of her now giddy brother and friend to see Jake smirking at her. She removed her hand from her mouth and put it back around his neck, nodding in reply to his question. "Well, what does he think of your choice of guys?"

"Well, I think he approves of you. Just don't plan on kissing me tonight," she replied softly. His smirk vanished as he gave her a calculating look. She smiled up at him and brought a hand around from the back of his neck to push the corners of his mouth up into a forced smile. "I didn't say never, just not tonight. Maybe in a month or so."

"I think I can live with that," a true smile forming on his face as the two continued to dance. She glanced in the direction of Lewis and Franny and saw Lewis looking towards her. She smiled at him and gave him a wink, letting him know that she had seen the kiss he had shared with Franny. He flushed and looked back down at Franny.


	19. Solo Auditions

**Chapter 17 – Solo Auditions**

**February 10****th****, 2012**

It had been three weeks since the winter formal and not even five minutes after the dance had ended, Jessie had started bugging Lewis about the kiss he had shared with Franny. Her comments were 'so, when are you getting married?' and 'when can I expect my niece/nephew to arrive?' Lewis just shook his head at these comments, knowing from his experience four years prior that all her jokes would come true.

Jessie currently however, was not bugging her brother, seeing as she was at school now. For while he joking continued, so did her classes. The only class that she found she actually enjoyed was surprisingly, choir. She had a strong voice and a wide range that she would soon be using to her advantage, and today just happens to be the first day on that road to discovery.

Many of the girls were stepping up to audition for one of the solo's in their competition show, a solo for the song _Defying Gravity_. They had learned the choral parts and Mr. Thomson was now looking for the solo's so they could start choreography the next week. Jessie was now among those trying for the solo.

Mr. Thomson was going by row and seeing as she was in the back, she was to go last. Her classmates all got up and sang their hearts out on the ending of the song that was being used to the auditions. The girl before her, a blond named Amanda Hart, went back to her seat as the class clapped for her. Mr. Thomson stood behind the piano and wrote notes beside the list of people who were trying out for the part. He finished writing something on his last before looking up towards her. "Jessie, you're next."

Her fellow classmates gave her words of support as she walked to the front of the room. Though she had a strong voice, she often kept it hidden, afraid that she would be told to keep her mouth shut. She finally reached the front after what seemed like an eternity and stood looking at the expectant faces of the choir.

"Ready?" Mr. Thomson asked with his hand on the remote for the stereo system that was installed in the room. She nodded, trying desperately to remove the lump that had formed in her throat. He pushed play and the bars before the climax of the song began to play. She closed her eyes and pictured the room empty of all people and just listened to the music. She took a deep breath, feeling the muscles of her diaphragm constricting and opened her mouth.

"_So if you care to find me  
Look to the Western sky!  
As someone told me lately  
everyone deserves the chance to fly  
and if I'm flying solo  
At least I'm flying free  
to those who ground me  
take a message back from me!"_

She began the solo strong and load, feeling the muscles of her diaphragm pushing to support each note. She opened her eyes and saw her classmate's jaws had gone slack in shock. She smiled to herself and continued on, getting used to the feeling of many eyes watching her.

"_Tell them how I am defying gravity  
I'm flying high, defying gravity  
and soon I'll match them in renown  
and nobody in all of Oz  
No Wizard that there is or was  
Is ever gonna bring me down!!"_

She held out the last note, strong and true as she felt her body loosen up and she began to raise her arms the longer she held it out. Mr. Thomson stopped the music and looked at her, an ecstatic look on his face. The class began to applaud her and she grinned shyly when she heard a distinct 'woo-woo' from Jake.

She smiled around as Mr. Thomson moved away from the piano and towards where she stood. He stood grinning at her for a moment before turning to the class. "Well, I think we know who gets that solo."

The class voiced their agreement and Mr. Thomson clapped a hand on her shoulder as he grinned brightly at her. "All I want you to do is sing at the recital next week to get used to singing before someone besides your classmates."

Jessie felt her smile fade as shock replaced it. Sure, she had wanted to sing the solo in the show, but that was the next month! Now she had to sing the next week?! "Sing? Next week? But what?"

"What you sing is up to you. But I would recommend another song from Wicked so you can get used to belting like Idina Menzel," he replied as the bell rang and the students began to leave the room to head to lunch. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning and heading into his office.

She went and grabbed her back, stuffed her music folder into it, before quickly walking to the door to meet up with a smiling Jake. "Congrats on the solo!"

"You did hear him say I have to sing at the recital right?" she asked him as the two made their way towards the staircase.

"Yeah. But don't worry about it. Just let go and let the music flow through you and you'll be fine," he replied, putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked. She grinned up at him but said nothing and left his arm there.


	20. Stage Fright

**Chapter 18 – Stage Fright**

**February 17****th****, 2012**

A week after being told she had to sing at the choir recital, Jessie would herself pacing back and forth in the greenroom on the school theater. She had been rehearsing her song all week and was now wearing her witch Halloween costume to match the character she was singing as, minus the green skin.

She shook as she walked, her breathing coming in shallow and quick. She heard the audience applauding as the current performer finished and the next was introduced. She ran over to the wall where and program was listened as the person on stage began to sing, their voice heard through the speakers in the room.

She began to shake more when her hand came to rest on her name. She was next. She quietly walked to the door to the stage and opened it. She walked through on her tip-toes and silently closed the door behind her. The curtain was shut, giving the performer about two feet of space in front of it to use however the wished.

Behind the curtain was almost complete darkness, the only light a single white bulb shinning down from the rigging. She walked over to the wing and looked out at the performer, singing their heart out to a Celine Dion piece. She looked across the stage and spotted Mr. Thomson watching from the other side. She felt a hand land on her shoulder and nearly screamed out, clamping a hand over her mouth she looked over to see it was only Jake.

She removed her hand from over her mouth and glared at him. The audience began applauding the current performer as she exited the stage. Jessie looked back towards the stage. Mr. Thomson took the wireless mike from her as she walked off and made his way to the center of the stage. Her eyes widened and she froze. She was next.

"Our next performer this evening is new to use this year. Please welcome, Ms. Jessie Robinson!" he announced and gestured to wear she was waiting unseen. The crowd applauded as Mr. Thomson gestured for her to come out.

He breathing quickened and she moved to push past Jake and leave. He stopped her from going anywhere with a firm hand on her shoulder. "You can do this Jess."'

"No I can't!" she whispered back at him, trying to break free from the grip he had on her shoulder.

"Yes you can!" with this firm retort, he pushed her out of the wind and she stumbled onto the stage, causing people in the audience to chuckle. She flushed as she straightened herself. She walked over to Mr. Thomson and he handed her the microphone and whispered a 'good luck' before walking off the stage.

She turned towards the audience and squinted into the bright stage lights. Her eyes adjusted after a few seconds and she was able to scan the crowd. She searched until her blue eyes met those of her brothers. She feels warmth and a sense of relief wash over her and she gives him a small smile, her shaking beginning to subside. He smiles in return as the music begins to play and he gives her a thumbs up.

She swallows as the last few bars of her intro begin to play. She reaches and straightens her hat, setting her face into concentration to fit the mood of the song. She felt the muscles of her diaphragm tense and lifted the wireless microphone to her mouth.

_Eleka nahmen nahmen  
Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen  
Eleka nahmen nahmen  
Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen_

She took a small, quiet breath and kept her face set in mock determination, a shadow falling on her face as brim of her hat dipped down. She left it there and continued.

_Let his flesh not be torn  
Let his blood leave no stain  
Though they beat him  
Let him feel no pain  
Let his bones never break  
And however they try  
To destroy him  
Let him never die:  
Let him never die:_

_Eleka nahmen nahmen  
Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen  
Eleka nahmen nahmen  
Ah tum ah tum eleka: eleka:_

She let out a groan and the concentration lifted from her features to be replaced with utter frustration as she got into the mood and feel of the character Elphaba. The movements of the hand not holding the mic gesturing to show the audience what she was feeling.

_What good is this chanting?  
I don't even know what I'm reading!  
I don't even know which trick I ought to try  
Fiyero, where are you?  
Already dead, or bleeding?  
One more disaster I can add to my  
generous supply?_

She held out the note, getting deeper and deeper into character and her performance, all traces of nerves gone as she sang. She began to loosen up and move around the stage, furthering all aspects of her performance. It was in this moment that Jessie realized this was what she loved.

_No good deed goes unpunished  
No act of charity goes unresented  
No good deed goes unpunished  
that's my new creed  
my road of good intentions  
Led where such roads always lead  
No good deed  
goes unpunished!_

She held out the note for several moments in a strong, belt tone before bringing it down as the music began to soften. She looked around the stage with a questioning expression.

_Nessa  
Doctor Dillamond  
Fiyero  
Fiyero!!_

She sang the note, closing her eyes and relishing in the feeling of power in her voice as she held it out while the music built back up around her.

_One question haunts and hurts  
too much, too much to mention  
was I really seeking good  
or just seeking attention?  
Is that all good deeds are  
when looked at with an ice-cold eye?  
If that's all good deeds are  
Maybe that's the reason why_

_  
No good deed goes unpunished  
All helpful urges should be circumvented  
No good deed goes unpunished  
Sure, I meant well -  
Well, look at what well-meant did  
All right, enough - so be it  
So be it, then_

The music began to quiet and she looked down at the audience from the raised stage, he face set in a fierce determination. Unknown to her, her hat was once more casting long shadows on her face, giving her an almost menacing look.

_Let all Oz be agreed  
I'm wicked through and through  
Since I can not succeed  
Fiyero, saving you  
I promise no good deed  
Will I attempt to do again  
Ever again  
No good deed  
Will I do again!_

As she held out the final note as the music climaxed, she lifted her arm into the air; her hand clenched in a tight fist as she raised it. She cut off after the music ended and the audience burst into applause as they began to give her a standing ovation. She lowered her arm and smiled out at the audience, a blush appearing in her cheeks.

She looked out to where Lewis was and saw that he too was standing and cheering for her, a wide and almost proud smile graced his face. She noticed that Bud and Lucille stood to his right and Franny was jumping up and down on his left. She let out a chuckle as Mr. Thomson walked back out onto the stage and took the mic from her and began to make her way off towards the wing, where a brightly smiling g Jacob awaited her.


	21. Wilbur’s Return

**Well, it's the moment you have all be waiting for. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 19 –Wilbur's Return**

**April 15****th****, 2012**

Almost two months had paced since the recital and life was going great for the Robinson twins. Jessie had gone through several competitions with the choir and had been praised by the judges at each for her amazing voice, and together with the choir the High Fliers had taken first place that the competitions. She and Jake were getting closer everyday and she had begun to think about telling him she liked him very soon.

Lewis and Franny were practically inseparable, always spending time together when out of school. He had, with the help of Carl, almost completed the first prototype of the hover car and would hopefully test it within the next few days.

Today he and Jessie were going to meet Lucille for lunch at the same deli they went to the day they had met. The high school had let out for a two week break and Franny had gone with her family to visit relatives in Florida and Jake and his family had gone on a trip to Yellowstone. S the two had decided to see a move that morning and then meet up with their mom for lunch. It was a bright and warm spring day as they two walked along the sidewalk a few blocks from the deli.

Jessie was currently telling him, for the tenth time that week, about the last competition the choir had gone to. Lewis rolled his eyes, having learned long ago to tune her out when she went into talking spurts like this. He looked up the street ahead of them and stopped dead. Jessie went a few steps further before noticing her was not beside her. She walked back and looked at him curiously. Had he been paying attention, he would have noticed but he was staring at the boy that had just walked out of the alleyway ahead of them.

He was almost two feet taller than he had been four years ago, but still sported the blue, Captain Time Travel shirt and the cowlick in his black hair. Lewis continued to gap at the now sixteen year old. "Wilbur?"

Wilbur smiled at him and walked towards the two. Jessie just stood aside and watched the interaction in confusion. Lewis raised an eyebrow at him and placed his hands on his hips in a fatherly fashion. "What did you do?"

Wilbur shook his head and raised his arms in front of him in defense. "Hey, I didn't do anything." He paused for a second and looked thoughtful before turning defensive once more. "This time."

Lewis rolled his eyes as he strode forward and pulled his future son into a hug. Unlike his reaction four years prior, Wilbur did not hesitate and returned the hug with a smile. Jessie confused look turned to one of utter shock as she gazed at the two friends hugging. "Oh my God! You're gay!"

The two jumped apart at her shout. Lewis shuttered at the thought with a disgusted look on his face while Wilbur frowned and gagged. "EW! No! He's my dad!"

"Wilbur!" Lewis shouts at his future son. He clamped his hand over his mouth. He glanced at Lewis with an expression that said 'uh-oh.' Wilbur lowered his hand and the two turned consciously towards Jessie, trying to gage her reaction.

Jessie blinked a few times after the black haired boy name Wilbur gagged and shouted something about Lewis being his father. Father? How was that possible? The boy looked about a year older than they were. Maybe I just heard wrong. "Pointy haired boy say what?"

Wilbur grabbed Lewis's arm and pulled him into the dimly lit alleyway, Jessie following in confusion. Once a few feet in, Wilbur stopped and let go of Lewis. Jessie walked over and stood beside Lewis and looked between the two in confusion. "Will someone please tell me what's going on? And why did he say you're his father?"

Lewis sighed as he glanced at Wilbur before looking at Jessie. He ran a hand through his blond hair, his shoulder's sagging. "How to put this…umm….well, I met Wilbur her four years ago, before Bud and Lucille adopted me."

Lewis went on to explain to Jessie all that had happened to him four years ago. Starting with the Memory Scanner, going to how he and Wilbur had crashed the time machine, all the way to where he had met his forty-two year old self. Jessie took it all in silence as she leaned back against the alley wall, not caring if she got her shirt dirty from the grim that covered it.

Wilbur was from the future, and Lewis had gone and met his future self when he was twelve! And he would build the time machine when he was in his thirties! And Wilbur was her future nephew. Silence filled the alleyway she Lewis and Wilber watched Jessie. Jessie looked and Wilbur, looking for clues as to who his mother was. Jessie wanted to jump for joy and smack herself after a few seconds of looking at him and having the answer staring her straight in the face. "Your mother's Franny!"

Wilbur smirked at her and nodded. Jessie squealed with happiness. Franny would someday be her sister! Her happiness faded as something else occurred to her. She turned to her brother in confusion. "Why did you never meet me?"

Lewis shrugged in response to her question before turning to Wilbur. "Good question. How come I never met her in the future?"

Wilbur continued to smirk and looked for his father's young self to his aunt's younger self. "You're not home very often, usually out on tour. At the time with Lewis came to the future, you were currently on your tenth world tour."

Jessie felt her jaw drop. World tour! But that would mean, "I'm a singer?"

"Six of your albums have gone double platinum," he replied. Jessie laughed with joy and Lewis smiled at her reaction. He had known since her first recital that she had found a love for singing and it did explain with she wasn't there or mentioned four years ago.

Wilbur's smile faded as he looked down at his watch. His face suddenly turned serious. "Now that you know who I am, we've got to get down to the real reason I'm here." 

Lewis frowned at Wilbur's sudden change in attitude. Even though he had obviously grown up, Wilbur being serious was not a good thing. Jessie too noticed the change and pushed herself away from the wall. "You didn't steal the time machine again, did you?"

"No, future you sent me to warn you," he replied, shaking his head, pulling out the keys to the machine from his pocket. With a chirp of the alarm, the red time machine materialized behind him. Jessie gaped at it for a second before noticing the dents in it and several holes in the glass; bullet holes.

Lewis took in the small damage before turning back to Wilbur. "What happened that you needed to come back to warn us?"

"Ethan Summers escaped from prison, stole one of the time machine to come back here, almost killing Carl in the process," Wilbur managed to explained in one breath. Lewis looked at him in confusion, neither of them noticing that Jessie had gone extremely pale next to the wall and leaned up against it for support. "Who's Ethan Summers?"

"He was a business man that made millions investing in stocks," Jessie stated from her position next to the wall. Wilbur and Lewis turned to look at her and began concerned when they saw how pale she had turned. She swallowed before looking up at them, her eyes wide with fear. "He also ran a chain of venture's including supplying child prostitutes and slaves to other wealthy businessmen."

Lewis moved forward to stand in front of her with a confused and questioning look as he stared at her, Wilbur looking on in curiosity behind him. Lewis swallowed at the utter fear he had seem shining in her blue eyes. "How do you know this?"

Jessie tore her eyes away from his and looked down and the ground. She was silent for a moment before sighing and replying very softly, "Because five years ago, I was the traitor that turned him in."


	22. Ethan Summers

**Chapter 20 – Ethan Summers**

Lewis stared at Jessie as she continued to look down at the ground. "What do you mean?"

She bit her lip and looked up at him. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep out the memoires that she had for so long hidden in the depths of her mind, hoping to once day forget them. But it seem, that she never could and now her past was coming back to haunt her. "It was right after I escaped the Stevenson's. I was scared, cold and hungry. He found me hugging myself in an alley on the outskirts of town. He offered me a home and food with the company of other children. I wish I had never accepted that offer ever since."

"What exactly did he do to you?" Lewis asked, looking at her in concern as anger began to flare within him at the pain this Summers man had caused his sister.

"It was all fine at first," she continued, opening her eyes and staring blankly into the air in front of her. "Then it began to go downhill. His men began to skip giving me meals and began to beat me if I talked back. He said it was training so that I could someday become a woman."

She continued to stare into space, oblivious to Lewis's hands curling into fists and Wilbur's expression of horror. "I soon began to secretly be transported to the homes of wealthy bachelors, to be their servants until I was old enough to become a prostitute. This continued till I was twelve and it was decided that it was time."

"I was taken there in the late evening by Summers himself, for he thought I was a potential to be his number one. The place was a grimy apartment on the outskirts of town, and here I was, twelve starved and scared in the hands of a drunken fat bastard," she explained, her own hands subconsciously turning to fists as the memories of that night played out before her eyes. "But luck happened upon me that night, for while I screamed and tried to get away from the man, I was heard. I was heard and saved when a boy my age heard my screams, broke through the window and hit the man over the head with the table lamp."

"Who was this boy?" Lewis asked, anger evident in his voice even though he wanted to find this boy and thank him for what he had done to help his sister.

She stopped staring at that point and looked at Lewis. A very small, sad smile visible under her haunted face. "You already know him. His name these days is Jacob Collins."

"Jake? He was the one that saved you?" Lewis gaped. Jessie nodded in reply as he continued to gap. Yet it explained so much. How Jessie and him had gotten along so quickly. They had already known each other.

"Yes, Jake was a street thief at the time. He got me out of there. After telling him al that had happened to me, he tried to convince me to go to the police. I refused, because someone might recognize me and take me back to the Stevenson's. But after a month, I reluctantly agreed. I testified anonymously by Summers always knew it was me once he was arrested, for none had ever escaped him before," she replied. That had to be Ethan Summers one weakness; he underestimated people. When she had disappeared, he hadn't cared, thinking she would be too scared and ashamed to go to the police. As Lewis listened, something in the back of his mind began to click.

"After the trial, Jake and I were both taken to the nearby orphanage. It was around nine when we got there and all the other kids were asleep. While the owner, very nice women, talked to the officers, I went to the bathroom. There I snuck out the window and began my life on the streets," she continued and Lewis's mouth dropped as he remembered an incident when two children had been brought to Sixth Street Orphanage late in the evening and the fuss that had ensued when one of them escaped. He never met the boy, for the Judge of the trial that had happened had adopted him before morning.

Lewis looked at Jessie with wide eyes, his breathing quick and shallow as he began to realize what had happened. "The women…did she have dark skin, short black hair, and glasses?"

Jessie nodded slowly, remembering the kind women she had met that night. What was her name. Millie. No, Mildred. "Yes. I remember her name, it was-"

"Mildred," Lewis finished for her. She looked at him curiously. Behind him Wilbur's eyes widened in understanding. "She was the caretaker of the orphanage I grew up at."

"We could have met then, if I had stayed," Jessie stated, slumping back against the wall and sliding down to the ground. If she had not run that night, she could have spent the last five years with Lewis. She put her head in her hands, the weight of it all coming down on her full force.

"Um, guys. We have company," stated Wilbur. They looked to see him staring down the alley, where four large men were walking towards them. They were wearing all black and sunglasses concealed their eyes. Jessie pushed herself off the ground as the three stared at the oncoming men. Jessie gasped as she noticed that three of them looked like those that had worked for Summers before she escaped.

"Run!" Jessie yelled and the three teens ran from the alley, the four men right behind them. The ran right down the street, running in the direction opposite of the deli. Lewis had no idea how far they had run so far. Their breathing was coming quick and shallow as they continued to run as fast as they could. Lewis glanced back over his shoulder and noticed only three of the men were behind them.

A scream from Jessie told him where the other one had gone. She ran towards the nearest building and ushered them in behind her before slamming the door and locking it. The three stopped for a minute to catch their breath. Lewis looked around the building they had run in to.

It was old and obviously abandoned. Faded brown paint was peeling from the walls and cobwebs filled the dark corners. A thick layer of dust covered everything. They were in one of the abandon buildings on the edge of town. The door behind them shifted as one of them men rammed into it. Having caught their breath, the three teens glanced at the door before running towards the staircase.

Up and up the climbed, not knowing whether the men had gotten into the building or not. As the climbed, the faded paint changed into faded flower wallpaper. None of them noticed as the continued to run. They reached the last flight of stairs and ran up. A few second later they emerged on the sunny rooftop of the building. As they stopped to catch their breath, three of the four men came up from behind them and pulled their arms behind their backs. As the struggled against their captors, another man stepped in front of them.

This man, however was not wearing back. He short and portly. His graying brown hair was receding g from his forehead and he wore an old and worn business suit. He stood in front of the struggling teens, a sinister smirk on his face as he looked between them before his dark green eyes landed on Jessie. Jessie fear was gone and replaced with hatred as she glared at Ethan Summers.


	23. Long Awaited Revenge

**Chapter 21 – Long Awaited Revenge**

"Hello Ms. Adams," he greeted, bitterness and hatred obvious in his voice. Jessie glared back at him with mutual hatred, but said nothing. He chuckled at her silence. "Oh, how long I've waited. Years of planning and waiting are now coming true. Would you like to know how I did it?"

"Not really," she replied, her eyes never leaving his. He smirked and glanced over at Lewis. With a snap of his fingers, the man holding Lewis slapped him hard across the face. Lewis winced at the impact, sure that he would soon have a bruise there. Wilbur stared on in horror at what was happening.

"LEWIS!" she screamed. Jessie struggled against her captor and glared at Ethan. "Fine. How did you do it?"

"For thirty five years, I watched the guards carefully. Observe their habits if you will. They brought me my meals at the same time every single day. So after years of planning and waiting, I finally struck. When the guard brought me my dinner, I strangled him from behind with me bed sheet," he explained as he paced back and forth across the roof, smiling in joy at the horrendous deeds he had committed. "Once he was dead, I took his cloths and his weapons and left the prison to make my way towards the Robinson mansion to see if the rumors of time machines were true." At this he glanced towards Wilbur and smirked. "It was rather easy after that. Broke into the garage, shoot the stupid robot that got in my way and stole one of the time machines."

"You bastard. You almost killed Carl," Wilbur stated bitterly, glaring at Ethan. The former business man strode forward and punched him hard in the stomach. Wilbur doubled over as far as his captor would let him, all the breath having been knocked out of his lungs. He then smirked down at Wilbur. "Like I care about that tin man of yours."

"Let them go. It's me you want Summers," she snarled at him. Her smirked as she continued to struggle.

"Like that's gonna happen girly," he replied as she walked over to her and ran a single finger along her jaw line. She bit her lip, to keep herself from gasping as she felt his cold finger touching her face as she continued to glare at him. "No, I have plans for them. They will see you suffer, and when I leave you here to die Ms. Adams, you will watch them being taken away from you and you will be helpless to do anything about it."

He let go of her face and moved to stand a few feet away from her, still smirking. He snapped his fingers twice and the men holding Lewis and Wilbur moved to stand next to them, facing Jessie and her captor. Ethan moved over to Lewis and stood in front of him. Lewis ignored him and looked straight at Jessie. Ethan snarled and grabbed his face and forced Lewis too look at him and see his malicious smile that was on his face. "Williams, you know what to do." He called over his shoulder before returning his cold gaze to Lewis. "And you my little inventor. You will watch your sister as she dies."

Ethan moved back to stand between Wilbur and Lewis and his smile widened as the man named Williams brought up his leg and kicked Jessie in the stomach. She grunted in pain as all her breath was knocked out of her and she fell to her knees. She bit her lip once more as she was kicked in her side, hearing a sickening crunch as pain shot through her chest forcing her to wince.

"JESSIE!" she heard both Lewis and Wilbur yell as he kicked her yet again in the side, causing the pain to increase. She looked up from the ground towards her brother. Their blue eyes met for a brief second before she was forced to close them once more as she was kick once more, this time in the face.

She heard her brother and future nephew yell her name once more as she tried to breathe before yet another kick was placed to her back, forcing her onto her stomach. Breathing was painfully difficult, for she was sure she had at least one broken rib, for Williams seemed to me wearing steel toed boots. She opened her mouth to breathe and felt hot liquid dripping out of her broken nose.

She felt Williams flip her over with his foot before kicking her side again. She laid there, eyes closed and breathing difficult, listening to the distant sounds to traffic. She heard footsteps beside her head. She opened her eyes for a split second before she was kicked once more in the face, causing her to black out.

Lewis felt several tears slip down his cheek as he stared down at the bloody and beaten form of his sister. Ethan walked over to her and smiled sinisterly down at her unconscious form. "Nicely done Williams. She'll soon be dead from the blood loss."

He stood and kicked her body, causing her to roll over onto her stomach. He brought something out of his pocket and pushed one of the buttons. One the other side of the roof, the blue and green time machine appeared. Lewis and Wilbur struggled as they were bound and blindfolded. All they were able to hear as they were lifted into the time machine was Ethan sinister laughter.

Twenty minutes after being beaten to a pulp, Jessie's eyes flickered open. She blinked several times to get the blood out of her eyes as she stared at the ground of the roof. Her breathing was coming in short, painful spurts but through it all, one thing rang through her mind. She was alive.

She pushed herself up, biting her lip to the point of bleeding as to not scream out in pain. She looked around the rooftop and noticed everyone had gone, Ethan leaving her to bleed to death. She glanced up and saw something red glimmering in the sun a few feet away from her. Her eyes widened. The keys to the other time machine!

She painfully crawled forward on her hands and knees and fell back to the ground executed when she reached it. There were three buttons on it. One for invisibility, one for unlocking, and the final one was a homing beacon. She pushed the last button in hopes that it would bring the machine to her.

A few minutes later, a warm breeze blew across the roof and she heard the wiring of an engine. Swallowing, she pushed the invisibility button. With a crackle, the shield fell away to reveal the red time machine setting a few feet away from where she lay.

She pushed herself up, biting her lip once more and stood up on weak and shaking legs. She pushed the second button and the glass hatch slid forward to allow her to enter. She walked gingerly towards it, clutching her sides and breathing shallow and quickly.

She pushed the button once she was inside the time machine and the hatch closed around her as she sat in the pilot's seat. She scanned the controls in front of her, praying that it had an auto pilot that would take her to Wilbur's time. She let out a gasp as her eyes landed on a button clearly labeled 'auto pilot.' She pushed it and felt the machine take off into the air. She leaned back in the seat and fell unconscious from exhaustion and blood loss.


	24. The Future

**Chapter 22-The Future**

**April 15****th****, 2042**

About an hour after leaving the rooftop, Lewis found himself un-blindfolded, but gagged, as he was tied to a chair somewhere in the Todayland of Wilbur's time. While they had been in the time machine, he had heard Ethan's plans for him and Wilbur.

He planned to wait a few days, to make sure the two teens look malnourished and visible bruises, and then make a ransom video. It was Ethan's hope that he could get a lot of money holding the son of the rich and famous Cornelius Robinson for ransom, and get even more for having his younger self captures too.

The future father and son had been dragged blindfolded and gagged to who knows where and separated. The room Lewis was in was dark except for a single light hanging down in the center of the room, like a single bacon of hope that someone would find him and Wilbur before it was too late. That someone would catch Ethan Summers and put him back in prison, and the every small chance that Jessie was still alive.

He stared up at the light, hoping with all his heart that everything would be fine. Just as it had ended up fine in the end on his last trip to the future. Too bad this time though, the evil they were fighting against was not as simple to be ride of as a small bowler hat.

* * *

Jessie groaned, her was pounding and she was sore, but she found it was surprisingly easy to breath. Wherever she was, she was laying on something soft. She blinked open her eyes to find a familiar shade of blue looking down at her curiosity. "L-Lewis."

The man looking at her chuckled before replying and a deep and kind voice, "You have to be one of the few that still call me that."

She blinked a few more times and the entire room came into focus. It was her room at home, but yet it was not. Things she had never seen before rested in place of some of her things. Her eyes then fall on the man sitting at the edge of her bed. She gasped as all the memories of the past few hours came rushing back to her. She was in the future, and this was her brother's older self!

"You gave Franny and Carl a heart attack when I found you in the time machine," he commented, adjusting his glasses as he looked at her. She looked down at herself and noticed she was in clean pajamas that were several times to large for her and all the places she was sure she was injured, there wasn't even a bruise. She looked up at Cornelius in confusion, but he beat her to it. "You must remember, I have a lot more inventions in the time then I do back in yours."

A knock came from the door and a second later, Franny entered with Carl right behind her. Franny smiled at seeing her awake and moved quickly over to the best and pulling her into a tight hug. Jessie groaned from the tight hug and Franny grimaced and pulled away. "Sorry Jess."

"It's fine. I'm just a little sore for that tight of a hug yet," she replied with a smile. The panel in Carl's chest opened and three mini Carl's jumped out, carrying a try that had a steaming bowl of what appeared to be chicken soup on it and they set in on Jessie's lap. Jessie laughed as the mini Carl's hopped back into his chest and the panel closed once more. She looked to Cornelius and smiled at him. "I'm guessing that's one of those new inventions?"

"That would be one of them," he replied with a chuckle as Jessie began to eat her soup.

* * *

Several hours after eating, Jessie sat on the couch in the living room of the Robinson mansion, Franny and Cornelius standing before her. She had just finished explaining to them all that had happened between Wilbur's arrival to the past and Jessie's arrival to the future. The short story itself had taken a while, what with the panicked members of the Robinson family bursting in every few minutes. After about ten minutes, Franny lost it and locked to door to keep the out after.

Franny was now pacing in front of the couch as Cornelius stood deep in thought. Carl had come into the room several minutes earlier after running a time scan to reveal that the other time machine had not been used since arriving to the future hours before. He now stood beside the doorway watching his inventor and his wife. So they now knew what time Ethan had them in, the question was just where exactly was he keeping them?

Franny stopped her pacing and looked down at Jessie. "Do you have any idea where he could have taken them?"

Jessie was silent as she thought about it. She knew that he would most likely take them to somewhere abandoned and a location that would haut whoever it was he wanted to hurt. The question was, what was that place to her? Her first thought was Summer's old mansion, but that had been shot down when Carl had told them it had long since been demolished.

After a few minutes, it dawned on her. She looked back up at Franny and Cornelius and nodded. "Is the Stevenson Mansion still standing?"

They all turned to Carl, whose blue eyes showed question marks as the searched. After a few moments checkmarks appeared in his eyes and he moved towards them. "Yes, the mansion still stands. It'd been for sale for the past twenty years and your name is listed as the seller."

"well, I sure wouldn't want to keep it," she muttered and she pushed herself up from the couch. That's got to be where they are, she thought to herself. She would do anything to save her brother, even if it meant going back to the place she had hated growing up.


	25. The Rescue

**Chapter 23 – The Rescue**

Lewis lifted his head as he heard sounds coming from just outside the door. He looked in the direction he knew the door was in as he heard someone turning the lock. The door was thrown open and Lewis squinted against the bright light coming in from the hallway beyond. He gasped once his eyes adjusted for into the room came Jessie.

She had a panicked look on her face as she felt along the wall for a light switch. She flipped it on and several panel lights brightened the room. As she rushed back to untie his binds, he looked around the room now that he was able to see it. It was rather large, with a bunk bed sitting at the far end a small night stand beside it. At the foot of the bed sat a small desk. The walls were a dull grey and held nothing on them.

Lewis took a deep breath as he felt the gage loosen and drop away from his mouth. He looked over his shoulder to see Jessie struggling to untie his bonds, her hands shaking violently. "You're alive! But how?"

She glanced up at him, panic clearly visible in her eyes as she continued her work. "I'll explain later. I've got to get you out of here."

"Oh, you won't be going anywhere," stated the voice of Ethan Summers from the doorway. The two looked up startled as he entered the room. Jessie stood from her crouching position behind the chair as behind Ethan, to guard pulled in Franny, Cornelius and Wilbur. "These two were trying to get this one out."

"Ah, so now the gangs all here," Ethan commented as the guards held Franny, Cornelius and Wilbur just beside the door. Ethan started to laugh at Jessie's panicked expression. "So you didn't die on the rooftop. Oh well, you shall die now."

With this statement, Ethan pulled a sharp knife from his belt and moved towards Jessie. Lewis looked to his older self and saw him, smiling? Why on earth was he smiling? His answer came when another voice was heard in the room. "I don't think so Summers."

Lewis looked to the scared out of her wits Jessie behind him. How could she be there, when her voice sounded like it had come from behind Ethan? Ethan Summers himself looked just as confused as he was. For he had heard her voice, but had not seen her mouth move. Ethan lowered the knife and began to glance around the room.

"Try over here," came Jessie's stern voice from behind Ethan. With a crackle similar to that of when the invisibility falls away from the time machine, Jessie appeared several feet behind Ethan. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a black pantsuit that clung tightly to her body like a second skin. Her face was full of hatred for the man in front of her as she held a prototype laser gun in her hand, aimed directly at his head.

Everyone in the room looked between the two Jessie's in confusion, all except Cornelius that is. He simply stood there smiling. One hand still holding the laser towards Ethan, she reached down and pushed one of the may buttons on her belt. Another crackling sound emitted from where the second Jessie stood and where she had been, a frighten Carl appeared. Jessie smirked as Ethan looked between Jessie and the golden robot that had taken her appearance moments before.

"Seems as though you have underestimated me yet again Mr. Summers," she stated, still smirking as he looked desperately around the room for some way to escape. He spotted the bunk on the far side and began to smirk at her. "Have you realized what room you are in?"

"Don't try it Summers. I already know that we are standing in my old room," she replied hotly, bringing her other hand up so she could hold the laser with both as she glared at him. His smirk faltered as he stared at the weapon, her fingers tightening around the trigger.

His face contorted in horror as she pulled back on the trigger. A short beam of white light burst from the gun and hit Ethan square in the chest. He dropped to the ground, his knife still held in his limp hand. Without another glance at Ethan, Jessie moved and easily untied Lewis. He however was still staring at the men in black, though they had let go of their captives.

Jessie glanced at them and let out an opps. She reached down and pushed another button on her belt and the way her appearance had been on Carl, the appearance of the men fell away to reveal Lazlo, Gaston and Art. As Wilbur was pulled reluctantly into a fierce hug from his mother, Lewis and Jessie embraced tightly.

When they pulled apart, Lewis was still gaping at Jessie. "How did you survive?"

Jessie shrugged and smiled at him. "I don't know how, but I do know that you can't get rid of me that easily."

Another chuckle joined them as the two embraced once more. They pulled apart to see Cornelius smiling at them as the others walked out the door. "We should get out of here you two. Someone in the area was bound to hear the noise we created."

"Noise?" Lewis asked in confusion as he and Jessie followed his older self out of the room and into a brightly light hallway. Jessie looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What? Did you think it was easy to get into this place?"

* * *

**For Jessie's outfit, think Kim Possible's battle suit in all black.**


	26. Not As They Seem

**Chapter 24 – Not As They Seem**

"I'll explain how we got in her later," Jessie commented as the group of eight moved down the hallway. The walls were surprisingly brightly light, showing dark and drab grey walls with cobwebs up near the ceiling. The moved through the hallways in silence until they came to a single white door at a crossroads of tow intersecting hallways.

Lazlo looked back at Jessie and stated, "It's locked."

Jessie looked at him in confusion and moved through the group until she reached the door, leaving Lewis near the rear of the group with his older self. She pulled on the handle; it didn't budge. She looked back at the group behind her. "I could have sworn I left this open."

"We did," replied Franny, looking equality as confused. Lewis looked between the adults. They were all looking amongst themselves in confusion when he felt a hand clamp over his mouth and pull him back. Cornelius was the first to turn around and spot his captured younger self. The rest of the group exclaimed as the turned around and found Ethan Summers had grabbed Lewis from behind and had his knife pressed against his throat.

Lewis wanted to scream in terror as he felt the sharp point of the knife press against his neck. He caught sight of Jessie, how wore a look of horror and confusion. She looked to her brother's older self. "I thought the laser would knock him out for several hours?"

"I was only able to test it once. I guess it still has bugs," he replied, looking from his captured younger self to that of his sister's. Ethan laughed at their confusion and horror. Still chuckling, he smirked directly at Jessie.

"You thought you could beat me Adams? No one can ever beat me," he proclaimed, chuckling once more as he pressed the knife harder against Lewis's neck, several drops of blood oozed from the small wound. Jessie's eyes widened, making Ethan laugh happily. "You see, if I cannot have you dead, I can instead go after those you love. Who better to start with, then you're own brother?"

Jessie swallowed as she watched Ethan laugh and began to back up down the hallway with her brother, the knife against his neck preventing her from doing anything. He had back up about ten feet when he ran into a solid mass behind him.

In his shock, the knife dropped from his hand and Lewis was able to wiggle free from his grip. Ethan ignored the mass for a moment and reached for Lewis, the tips of his fingers just brushing the sleeve of his shirt as he fell to the tile floor of the hallway.

Lewis ran forward and met his older self halfway, who pulled him pack to the group and they turned to see what Ethan had run into. He felt Jessie move beside him as the group watched an invisible force roughly flip Ethan over onto his back. They heard him grunt in pain and saw the imprint of a foot on his chest. Ethan simply stared around in confusion, looking for some clue as to the identity of his attacker.

With a shimmer of silver light, the attacker was revealed. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a dark blue body suit. Her face was contorted with rage as she stared down at Ethan. Lewis heard Jessie gasp beside him. This woman was forty five year old Jessie Robinson.

The older Jessie never acknowledged the group; she only had eyes for the man below her. The man that had for a time, made her life a living hell, just after she had escaped what she had thought was a fate worse than death.

"My younger self may not have had the heart to kill you Summers, but I sure as hell do," she spat down at him, pulling an old magnum revolver from her belt. For the first time I his life, Ethan Summers looked afraid.

It was then she glanced up at the group. Her eyes were still full of hatred for the man she held down with her foot, but she also showed them the love she held for her family. She said only one thing, "Plug your ears."

They all did so as she looked back down at Ethan. She unlocked the safety clip and aimed the barrel of the gun as Ethan's chest. She glanced up to make sure all ear were plugged before pulling the trigger. The jolt the single shot caused echoed through the hallway, vibrating through each person's chest. Jessie removed her foot from Ethan's body and looked down at it in disgust as she locked the gun and placed it back into her belt.

She moved away from the body, not once looking back. She gave her family as small smile as she approached them. Cornelius was the first to greet her and promptly pulled her into a tight hug. Jessie and Lewis glanced at each other and smiled; glad they were so close in the future.

"I thought you weren't coming home till tomorrow?" Cornelius asked as the two forty five years olds pulled apart.

"Simple. I came home early when I remembered what day it was," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. She glanced down at her younger self and winked. Franny moved forward and greeted her best friend.

Jessie looked to her brother's older self. "I thought you only had one of these suits?"

"I had two prototype suits. She obviously found the second," Cornelius replied, looking over at his twin to see her smirking at them. "How did you find it?"

"Our twin thing. Duh," she replied sarcastically, gesturing to her head to his. Her younger self snorted at her response and at the look Cornelius and Franny were giving her. "Okay, so I found the notes on your desk. Happy."

Cornelius looked over to his wife and to his son beside her and nodded. "Yep, I'm happy."

The group looked around as they distantly heard police sirens. The older Jessie grimaced. "I figured someone was bound to hear that gunshot."


	27. Questions and Answers

**Chapter 25-Questions and Answers**

"So, how exactly did you guys get into the mansion?" Lewis asked from where he sat between Jessie and Wilbur. The group of nine had quickly left the mansion through the back entrance that opened into a tunnel that led into the grove of trees behind the mansion. It had been explained along the way that this was how the older Jessie had gotten into the maze of hallways beneath the mansion.

Now they sat in the dining room of the Robinson mansion along with the rest of the family, just relaxing as they ate and talked. As dinner ended however, the conversation turned to what had happened that day at Stevenson Mansion.

"We got in through the back door to the basement," Cornelius replied from where he sat at the head of the table beside Franny and the older Jessie, an empty bowl of spaghetti in front of him.

"I thought we were in the basement?" asked Wilbur.

"There was a basement below the basement that very few knew about," explained the younger Jessie, all eyes at the table turning to look at her. "The entrance is behind the water heater in the upper basement. That was where one of the muscle men was."

"It was Williams," Cornelius explained, locking eyes with Lewis, both of them knowing exactly who he was. Lewis glanced over at Wilbur and saw that he had straighten up in his seat at the name.

"Brute strength was his advantage, but Einstein he is not," Jessie added with a small smirk. "Having the power of invisibility can come in very handy. It was very easy and quiet, until the big dung pile fell onto the water heater."

"I take it that he made a big mess?" her older self asked as she smirked at her younger self, already knowing the answer to her question.

"And a lot of noise, which alerted the guard posted on the other side of the doorway to the lower basement," she replied to herself. Cornelius rolled his eyes at the antics of both versions of his sister.

The older Jessie glared at her brother as Lewis and the younger Jessie glanced at each other, glad that some things didn't change in the thirty years to come for them. Everyone at the table chuckled as the older Jessie smacked her brother upside the head, resulting in him looking at her as if she was nuts.

At that moment, the sound of Spike's doorbell sounded in the distance as the front door opened and closed. The family grew silent as they watched to doorway to the dining room. Footsteps out in the hall grew closer and a forty-seven year old brunette stopped at the doorway and looked in at the family.

"Why on earth is it so quiet in here to-"Jacob Collins stopped as his blue eyes landed on Lewis and the younger Jessie, both of whom gaped at him in amazement. He then looked to the older Jessie, who smiled at him sheepishly. "Hi honey."

"So this is why you left me at the arena, finishing the set up for your concert," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest as a small smirk formed on his face. "You could have told me that your younger self was showing up."

"Sorry honey," replied the older Jessie as she got up from her seat next to her brother. When her hand was set on the table for a second, Lewis caught sight of a thin golden band on her ring finger. Lewis glanced at the younger Jessie beside him and saw that she too had noticed the wedding ring.

"We're married?" the younger Jessie explained as her older self reached her husband and hugged him tightly, giving him a small peck on the lips before turning back to her older self, a large grin on her face as she intertwined hands with Jake. "Yep. Four months after Lewis and Franny actually."

"But we did split up for a time in junior year but that only lasted a few months," Jacob added as she wrapped his free arm around his wife's waist and pulled her closer to him. Younger Jessie shrugged beside Lewis, unable to wipe the grin from her face, even as she widely yawned.

Franny noticed this and frowned. "We should all probably be getting to be. It's been a long day and you two," she gestured to Lewis and younger Jessie. "Must return to your time tomorrow morning."

"That right," commented Lucille as she stood from her seat. "You two still have to meet me for lunch."

No one objected as the Robinson family made their way out of the dining room and off towards their own rooms to sleep for the night. Lewis and Jessie were shown to two of the many guest rooms, where the bid each other good night before changing into the provided night cloths and crawling into bed and promptly falling to sleep.


	28. Return to the Past

**I am so sorry it has been so long since I have updated! My muse for this story, actually all my stories, refused to co-operate for some time. Anyway, here is the second to last chapter of **_**Twin Factor**_**!**

**Chapter 26-Return to the Past**

**April 16****th****, 2042**

The next morning after breakfast found all the occupants of the Robinson mansion out beside the garage, in the same spot that they had wished Lewis farewell four years prior, to wish Lewis and Jessie farewell before Wilbur took them back to their own time. They had already said goodbye to everyone but their future selves. As Lewis stopped before Cornelius, Jessie stopped before her older self who was just smirking down at her.

"So, world famous singer?" the younger Jessie asked her elder self, both of them simultaneously crossing their arms over their chest.

The older Jessie laughed at her younger self, "Yep, though tonight is my final performance before retiring. After fifteen albums and thirteen world tours, I think it's time to settle down."

"I should think so," stated Cornelius as he and Lewis walked over to the two Jessie's.

"Well you're off on business trips almost as often as I am out on tour," the older Jessie replied to her brother while their younger counterparts just rolled their eyes and the actions of their future selves.

"Hey," he started, pointing a finger at his twin. "Almost is still not as much as you."

"And a word to the wise," the older Jessie began, pushing down her brother's pointing finger as she looked back at her younger self. "After Wilbur is born and you have to babysit him, anything with sugar is a bad combination in him. Especially when he is five."

Jessie opened her mouth to ask what exactly had happened when the honking horn of the time machine cut her off. The two pairs of twins turned towards the time machine behind them, eyes narrowed at the smirking Wilbur behind the wheel of the red time machine. Lewis turned back towards his older self while rolling his eyes. "Déjà-vu."

Jessie turned back her older self and smiled at her smirking older self. "I'll see you again mini-me. Every time you look in the mirror."

"And don't forget to always keep moving forward," added Cornelius before the younger set of twins turned and walked towards Wilbur in the waiting time machine, which rolled his eyes as the two climbed in. "Took you long enough."

"Hey, I'd like to see what happened if you were to meet your older self," Jessie replied as she and Lewis buckled the seatbelt in the back seat, both of them grinning and waving at their future family as the time machine started up.

"Not the point Jess," Wilbur responded as the time machine lifted into the air. Lewis and Jessie glanced at each other before looking at the back of Wilbur's head with raised eyebrows.

"Then what is the point?" Lewis asked, crossing his arms over his chest as Jessie did the same beside him.

"That's not important," he replied, glancing back at the twins quickly before looking out front as the bubble engulfed the time machine and the futuristic landscape was changed to that of the Lewis and Jessie's present.

"Whatever Wilbur," Jessie stated as the time machine flew into a familiar dark ally and landed before coming visible. The glass dome slid forward and the three teens climbed out of the time machine.

"Hopefully this is the last time I have to come back to the past," Wilbur commented to his future father and aunt. Lewis rolled his eyes and hugged his future son, Jessie smiling at the two of them a few feet behind him.

"Well, the first time could have been avoided if you had just made sure to close the door," Lewis replied as he moved back to stand beside Jessie, who quickly moved forward to hug Wilbur tightly. Jessie pulled away and held him at arm's length, a small smirk on her face. "Be good, and don't do anything that will make the future me smack you upside the head."

Wilbur laughed as Jessie let go of his shoulders and climbed back into the time machine. Lewis moved beside Jessie and put an arm around her shoulder as the two smiled up at Wilbur. Once he was seated in the front seat, he looked back down at them. "How about we make a deal? I'll remember to lock to garage door just as long as you make sure that my future still exists by getting things right here."

"Deal. But if they are trying to steal them with a gun in their hand, duck so you don't get shot," Jessie stated matter-of-factly. Both Lewis and Wilbur rolled her eyes at her.

"Well Wilbur, we've got someone to meet up with," said Lewis. Wilbur nodded in reply. "Yep, can't keep grandma waiting for much longer."

"See ya Wilbur," both Lewis and Jessie called to him as he shut the glass dome and started up the time machine. The twins waved as he lifted into the sky above the ally before disappearing in a flash of color.

"Well," Lewis began his arm still around Jessie's shoulders as they began to move back towards the sidewalk they had been on when Wilbur had arrived. "I guess we better get to lunch. We are about two days late."

Jessie laughed and put her arm around his shoulder as they reached the sidewalk. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about anyone trying to kill us."

"First someone tries to erase my future, and then someone tries to get revenge on my sister. I think I've had enough time travel for at least another four years," Lewis replied as the two reached the deli where Lucille was waiting for them, the same place it had all begun almost a year ago.


	29. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**June 7****th****, 2016**

"Thank you High Fliers for the beautiful performance," announced the class valedictorian Daniel Hart as the group made their way off of the riser's that were set up in front of the stage that was set up in the football stadium for graduation. As the members of the group made their way back to their seats, one figure in her light blue cap and gown ran back to the soundboard behind the stage.

"I now have the pleasure of welcoming to the stage a graduating member of the High Fliers, who just recently signed a contract with RCA records," Daniel paused as all the students, and all those in the stands that had met the girl, erupted into cheers. Behind the stage, Jessica Robinson blushed brightly at the wave of sound that was being made for her as she silently made her way towards the ramp at the rear of the stage. "Here she is, singing 'I Learned From You' from the movie Bridge to Terabithia, Jessie Robinson!"

The screaming that met Jessie's ears as she walked out onto the stage was almost deafening, and if she did not have the earpiece in her ear so she could hear the music, she wouldn't have been able to hear it at all. She smiled and waved to all those in the stadium with her free hand as she walked across the stage, Daniel having moved the announcers podium off to the side to give her more room.

All the feelings of nerves that she had had her first time singing before an audience four years prior we all a distant memory. They had been replaced with excitement, adrenaline, and an all out passion for what she was doing. The stage was now her second home and she knew this was where she belonged. Not only from what she had seen in her trip to the future, where her forty five year old self was returning from her final world tour, but by the love she now had of performing. The audience began to lessen their screaming as she began to sing.

_Sometimes I couldn't hear what you tried to tell me  
I thought that I knew all I need to know  
I didn't understand that the doors you would open  
Could take me to somewhere I wanted to go  
I can be strong for you now  
You taught me how_

As she began to sing the chorus, she moved across the stage and began to wave her free arm in the air and smiled into her mic as the audience began to follow her lead and began to wave their arms back and forth in the air.

_I learned from you  
That I do not crumble  
I learned that strength is something you choose  
All of the reasons to keep on believing  
There's no question that's a lesson  
I learned from you_

You know where to find all of my hiding places  
And there are no secrets from you I can keep  
You let me know how you feel pulling no punches  
And I never knew that kind of honesty  
I'm grateful for all of the times  
You opened my eyes

As Jessie began to sing through the chorus a second time, she held the mic out towards the audience and yelled, "Let me hear ya!"

Thousand of voices began to fill the stadium, singing the refrain now along with a laughing Jessie as she moved back across the stage and prepared to go into the bridge of the song.

_You help me to stand on my own  
And I thank you for that it saved me it made me  
And now that I'm looking back I can say_

_I learned from you  
That I do not crumble  
I learned that strength is something you choose  
All of the reasons to keep on believing  
There's no question that's a lesson  
I learned from you_

_I learned from you  
That I do not crumble  
I learned that strength is something you choose  
All of the reasons to keep on believing  
There's no question that's a lesson  
I learned from you_

Jessie closed her eyes as she held out the last note of the song, the few voices that had sung with her until the end breaking away and joining in with those that were screaming. She opened her eyes as she lowered the mic away from her mouth and her arm fell down to her side, a bright smile on her face.

She looked to her left and spotted Franny sitting among the rows dedicated to the honors students and chuckled at her screaming friend. Jessie then looked to her right, to the area dedicated to those graduating from the High Fliers and spotted Jacob, to whom she blew a kiss to. He laughed as he caught it, which also caused him to knock his dark blue cap off his head. Jessie laughed and shook her head as she moved to looked towards the stands, blue eyes searching for her family. She spotted them in the third row from the front, all three standing and cheering loudly for her. Her smiled widened as she locked eyes with her brother and proceeded to give him a wink as she began to walk off the stage. She saw him laugh and shake his head.

* * *

**This story is now complete! Thanks to all of you who have read and reveiwed this story! There is a sequel, but it probably won't be up for some time, there are still things in the plot that I need to work out. So, thank you everyone and hope to see you at the sequel!**

**Lee**


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